Play Your Hand
by Sisi427
Summary: A continuation of The Hand You're Dealt. New problems arrive when Gintoki, Hijikata, and Kawakami start preferring Amaya's cousin over her. How far will she go to win them back? How will her decisions affect her life? None of them know how to react to the only solution she can find, and a new problem presents itself. OC story. Rated M for strong language, and adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

A new day had started and Amaya drove to school. Yumi was still in bed when she left, and she hoped that the woman would stay there... All day. When she walked into the building, her eyes locked to Hijikata's, and he greeted her in a low voice.  
"Hey! How are you today? Did you have a good day yesterday?" Amaya was just happy to be away from the demonic Yumi. Hijikata nodded, and offered her a small smirk.  
"Toshi, do you want to hang out tonight? I have work after school, and I get off around ten. If you aren't busy, or going to bed early, we should watch a movie or something." She spoke in a low tone, so nobody else could hear them, and he gazed around them.  
"Sure. Where do you want to meet up?"  
"The park. The one on Robin Lane. Let's go to your place okay? I have an annoying leak at mine..." He nodded again and they parted ways. Standing at her locker Amaya felt a small tap on her shoulder. Turning to see Bansai, she scowled.

"_What_ do _you _want?" Hissing the words at him, Amaya turned back to her locker.  
"Maya... Stop acting like that. You have no reason to be mad at me..." Kawakami spoke in his cool voice as always and it only irritated Amaya further.  
"No reason? The fact that you melted the moment Yumi touched you yesterday is plenty. You sat there and stammered for thirty minutes straight! YOU! Of all people. If she could... If she could-" Her voice wavered and she shoved her books into her bag.  
"You never acted like that with me." He shifted his gave trying to find something to say, but before he could she slammed her locker shut.  
"There's only _one_ Kawakami that I like, remember?" Motioning in the direction of Noboru, she quickly walked away.

History was the same as always, but Gintoki seemed to be nicer today. He seemed as though he was over the day in the office, and finally treated her as always. Everything was fine. That is, until a certain busty blond walked into the room. The entire class fell silent as the woman strode over to the teacher's desk, letting the hem of her dress ride up.  
"Hi there! I'm Yumi, Amaya's cousin. I'll be staying with her from now on, so I wanted to check out her school!" Yumi gazed at the students grinning sweetly. Shifting her gaze back to Gintoki and Hijikata she continued.

"I plan on watching the class, is that okay?" Her voice suddenly had a sultry tone to it, and the men nodded silently in response.  
"So you're both the teachers?" They nodded again, and she placed a hand to her cheek.  
"My, So handsome." After a short giggle that annoyed the hell out of Amaya, she walked to a desk in the front row and sat down.

The entire class, Amaya caught Gintoki and Hijikata glancing at Yumi who was loving the attention. She had her elbows on the desk, and was holding her head up with her hands. Her boobs seeped over the collar of her dress, not exposing anything but it was enough to make Amaya feel like her D cups were the tiniest things on the face of the earth. Hijikata didn't even look at Amaya, and she felt herself growing anxious.

When the bell finally rang students rushed from the room, leaving Gintoki, Hijikata, Amaya and Yumi in the room.  
"So tell me, how are her grades?" The two teachers both walked over to the desk she was sitting in, speaking at the same time.  
"She's great!" They spoke enthusiastically, and Amaya felt horribly left out. It was as though she was alone in the room, and she rose to her feet.  
Yumi also stood up and walked to Gintoki's desk.  
"Oh! It that a lollipop? May I have it?"  
Smirking Amaya decided to wait and watch Yumi get shut down, but was even more angry when Gintoki spoke.  
"Of course."

Thanking him Yumi leaned across the desk, exposing her white thong, and grabbed the candy. Hijikata and Gintoki Stared in awe, slack jawed. Yumi then slowly came back up, and turned around still smiling. Unwrapping the lollipop, she leaned against the desk, and placed it in her mouth.  
"Mmm, I just love sucking on these. It tastes so good." She circled her tongue around the candy, and the men watched her silently. Having seen enough Amaya walked between the adults, glaring at Hijikata and Gintoki as she passed.

During Kawakami's class the same thing happened. Yumi came in, saying she wanted to watch the lesson, and sat in the front row. She sat in the same position, but this time her legs were apart, giving Kawakami a full view up skirt. Amaya caught him sneaking glances, and when she knew he would stiffen again he sat at the table and pretended to read a book. When class was over Yumi walked up to him and sat on the desk.  
"Hi again, it's nice to see you. Do you mind If I call you Bansai?" He shook his head, and Amaya watched the woman as she walked by.  
"Well, Bansai, I can tell that you're a very unique man... Intelligence, looks, and charm, you must have it all. Tell me something... Do you have a girlfriend?" Leaning against the door, Amaya's eyes widened at the question. Bansai glanced at Amaya before answering.  
"No."

It was true, but Amaya couldn't stop her heart from dropping. Yumi reached across the desk, and pulled his glasses off placing them on her own face. "Well if you ever want one..." She moved closer to him and he seemed to be frozen in place.  
"You can always call me..." She breathed the words at him, and the second the words escaped her lips, she was capturing his. Kawakami gazed at Amaya out of the corner of his eyes, as Yumi stole a kiss from him. He was surprised to see the girl standing in front of the door, tears streaming down her face. She had started crying when he let Yumi remove his glasses. As far as she was concerned, she was the only person who had seen his eyes, and now they were no longer a secret from everybody else. When Yumi pulled back, Kawakami turned to face Amaya, but she was already gone. The door was closing behind her.

Amaya ran down the hall way only wanting to get as far away from Kawakami and Yumi as possible. She bumped into Gintoki and Hijikata at the same time, and the men stared down at her wide eyed. Without giving them a single second to speak, she pushed past them. It was obvious that whenever Yumi was around, they wouldn't even care about her. Just like Kawakami. When she reached her car, Noboru was standing beside it.  
"H-Hey, A-Amaya-Chan! Are you alright?" The boy's greasy hair fell over his face. Amaya peered at him, her face red. "D-Don't cry..." He wrapped his arms around her, and even though he was the most annoying guy she had ever met, she didn't attempt to push him away.

She remained in his arms, sniffling softly. Her nose was so clogged that she couldn't even smell him. _'This is the only person Yumi won't try to take away from me...'_

Her teachers all walked over to her, staring at the odd pair.  
"What are you all doing here?" Quickly wiping her eyes, Amaya glared at the men, Noboru still embracing her.

"Umm... You seemed upset..." Kawakami was the first to speak, and he had apparently retrieved his glasses. Gintoki and Hijikata nodded, staring at her like she was crazy.  
"You think?" Pulling away from Noboru, Amaya shifted her gaze. Her heart ached, and she could think of no way to make things right with the men.  
"Don't you have classes to teach? Maybe a dumb broad to stare at?"  
"Dumb broad?" Gintoki rolled his eyes at her.  
"She went to your next class... What's wrong Amaya?" Hijikata ran a hand through his hair.

"Ask Kawakami." Glaring at the man she shrugged. "Better yet. Don't even worry about it. There's only one person I like." Amaya knew she would regret this, but taking a deep breath she turned to Noboru. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned close to him, and gazed at the teachers.  
"I know there's somebody else you'd rather be talking to... So, why don't you?"

Now they all stared at her wide eyed, seemingly frozen. Noboru was also frozen, and Amaya pulled back.  
"Hmm, It's nice to know that there's someone I can have this effect on..." Motioning to his pants, Amaya got into her car. After starting the engine she pulled on a pair of sunglasses, and began to back out. Stopping when her window was beside them men she rolled it down, and grabbed a cigarette. After lighting it, she placed her hands back on the wheel, staring ahead.  
"You know... If you like somebody, it's rude to ogle the next woman that comes along. Even if she is being a slut." With that she continued to back up, and away.

Amaya spent the day at home, crying. She didn't know how Yumi always had this effect on men. It always seemed to happen like this. Bansai wasn't even dating her anymore, but to see him with Yumi, eyes completely exposed, and not fighting against her, hurt. Yumi eventually came home, after what Amaya could only assume was spending the rest of the school day flirting with the men in her life. When Yumi was walking in the door Amaya was headed for work. Neither of them spoke, and Amaya pretended she didn't see the manipulative smile on Yumi's face.

Work was tedious, and filled with disgusting creeps as always, but it was better then being at home. Amaya was happy to know that she too was attractive. An unexpected customer came in, and Amaya was unsure of how to treat the man.  
"Takasugi-Sama! welcome to the Lounge! May I take your order?" She bowed lightly and the man scowled at her.  
"So you work here now?" Amaya nodded at him, and he gazed away from her.  
"You know Miss. Mori, If you ever needed, you could always come back to the Vortex. You were a good waitress, and I'll pay you more... And keep these men off of you..." His voice was low as always, and Amaya raised an eyebrow at him.  
"I know you were displeased with the way you were treated before. Maybe my approach was wrong." Now he smirked up and her, and Amaya felt put on the spot.  
"But can you really blame me..? I'll have a tea..."

Nodding Amaya walked to the kitchen to get the drink_. 'He seemed like he was telling the truth... I could use more pay... I want to move...'_

Returning with the tea Amaya placed it in front of Takasugi. "If you need anything else, please tell me." She bowed again and he nodded.  
"Consider what I've said."

After work Amaya waited at the park. It was ten O'clock, and she had just arrived. Half an hour passed and she waited patiently, smoking cigarettes, and gazing at the stars. After another Fifteen minutes she grabbed her phone, deciding to call Hijikata. The dial tone sounded for a few minutes before the phone was answered. She was not greeted, so she decided to talk first.  
"Moshi Moshi." Silence.  
"Hello? Hello?" Now she heard something. It was a low moan. The sounds of a man, and woman together on the other side of the phone. Amaya pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it, making sure she had dialed the right number. She had, and now her heart dropped once again. The sound of Hijikata's phone being picked up, and panting graced her ears, followed by a click. She had been hung up on.

Seeing that she would not be joined by Hijikata, she slid off of the hood of her car, and listlessly walked back to the door, once again on the verge of tears.

_'Why is this happening?'_


	2. Chapter 2

The next day at school Amaya noticed that nobody was paying any attention to her. Gintoki, Hijikata, and Kawakami acted as though she was a ghost. Even when she spoke to them, nobody responded. She would ask to go to the bathroom, and still received only silence as an answer. So she just got up and walked out. Upon returning, she found everybody was taking a History test, but nobody acknowledged her. When class was over she walked up to Gintoki, and Hijikata.  
"Why aren't you talking to me?" She raised an eyebrow, and was met with blank stares.  
"Seriously you won't even say anything now?" Gintoki pulled a candy bar out of his desk, and bean to devour it.  
A moment later he left the room.  
"Even you, Hijikata?" Silence. She felt her eyes begin to burn, and she shifted her gaze to avoid showing it.  
"Toshiro... You stood me up... I tried to call you, but..." His eyes widened slightly, but he still refused to speak. Placing a hand on his chest, Amaya leaned into him gazing up into his eyes.  
"When I called... I heard something... It sounded like- Well, sex... Please tell me that I'm wrong... Please say that-" She was cut off when he moved away from her, almost causing her to fall.  
"Stop." Was all he said, before leaving her alone in the room.

Kawakami's class was the same. At the end of the class, he pretended that his music was too loud to hear her.  
"Bansai... Why is everybody ignoring me?" Once again, no answer, he just stared off to the side. "Nothing to say? After letting Yumi pull your glasses off in front of me? After kissing my cousin? Why is this happening?"  
"You've been replaced." His voice was firm, and she sharply inhaled at his statement.  
"How could I- Replaced? And you're okay with that? You were my first, and you're fine with me being nothing but a shadow? How can you agree with that? How do you even live with yourself?" Once the words had sunk in, Amaya felt as though she had been backed into a corner.  
"I don't."  
Hearing the familiar statement, Amaya smiled, and expected to be met with a warm smirk, but Kawakami's expression was serious.  
"So that's it? That's all? Okay... T-That's fine..." Her voice cracked, and she started away,calling to him over her shoulder.  
"I'm about to start working at the Vortex again. Takasugi and I talked... He seemed happy to see me."  
She was unable to see the shocked look on his face, but even if she had, she probably would not have cared.

When it was time for Gym, Amaya was met with three angry men, all waiting for her to walk through the door.  
"Oi, Stupid! What the hell do you mean you're going to work at the vortex again?!" Gintoki was the first to speak, followed by Hijikata.  
"You can't be serious right?"  
"Amaya, are you really going to go back after all it took to get you away?" Bansai glared down at her.

Now it was her turn, she walked past the men, acting as if they hadn't said a word. Gintoki, and Hijikata called after her, but she walked straight into the locker room.

At the end of class Amaya walked over to Bansai. "Hey. Thanks for helping me so much. I mean everything you have ever done for me. We had fun. Any way, I just want to give this back to you..." She extended her hand to him, and dropped a small item in his palm. It was the only thing he had ever given her, and he had won it at a game at the festival. A small emerald ring, which was the exact same color as her eyes. He sharply inhaled as he saw the item, but Amaya offered him a small smile.  
"It's been fun. Hope you have a good life." Next she walked to Hijikata.  
"Hey you. I know you don't want to talk, but I just wanted to say something. Even if you were sleeping with somebody last night, you didn't need to act the way you did earlier. I don't care if it was Yumi, just hope you had fun. Also, remember to change your bandages frequently." Once again a sweet smile graced her lips. Walking to Gintoki she knew exactly what she was doing. The men were ignoring her, preferring Yumi, she would guilt the hell out of them, and then reject them all if they ever came back. Knowing it would be difficult to turn Hijikata away, or even Kawakami, she sat beside Gintoki on the bench.

"Gin-Kun, I hope you're in a better mood! Hey, I heard Yumi talking about how much she likes you. You should hurry and sleep with her, I'm sure she would be WAY better then me, she's had so much more experience. Well, you were always a good friend to me. I know things got a little crazy, but I do hope you'll have fun in life."

He peered at her from the corner of his eyes.  
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Chuckling, she grabbed a container of strawberries out of her purse.  
"They're from the plant, it had too many to eat by myself. Yumi hates these things, so the only other person I could think to give them to is you." Now he turned to face her, but she stood up. The gym was empty, and Amaya smirked to herself. Walking between the three men she spoke loud enough for all of them to hear.

"If you're going to ignore me, I can at least say my good byes. Don't feel bad either, this isn't the first time Yumi's done this, but it is the first time she didn't sleep with everybody in the same day." Placing a hand on the door knob she turned to look at the men.  
"And yes, I'm going back to the vortex. Better customers, better pay... A girl needs some sort of affection, you know?"

They all stared at her wide eyed, as she left.

The first place Amaya went was to the Vortex. She knew what she was risking, but her motivation was the pay, not Takasugi. If everything went well, she could easily afford to leave, and take everything but Yumi with her.

"Ah, Miss. Mori, You're here..." Takasugi sat behind his desk smirking at Amaya as she entered the office.

"Yes, There's something I want to talk to you about... If you do this right, I'll work here, and even give you a chance at dating me."

He raised an eye brow, and she saw a certain spark in his eye. "What do you need?"

"You said that you would give me better pay, right?" He nodded  
"And that you would take a different approach at hitting on me?"  
"Yes, yes, now what do you need?" He eagerly awaited her explanation.  
"Well I want to move. So I need at least a 50 percent raise. Also, I want you to meet somebody..."  
"25..." He scowled slightly but she shook her head.  
"No, 40..."  
"30..."  
Sighing loudly Amaya shook her head. "35... That's my final offer... You do want me back, right?"  
After a moment of silence he nodded.  
"Fine... If we are in a relationship you can't move though."  
"Just because I work here, that doesn't mean we are in a relationship. If I feel as though we fit well then I'll tell you, better yet I'll show you, but until then..."  
"So who do you want me to meet?" Takasugi's smirk never faded, and Amaya knew it was time to give him a small test. If he passed, she would work for him. If he didn't she would find another way.  
"Please, come with me, I'll cook you lunch..." Motioning to the door, Amaya stood up. Takasugi followed behind her, and she led him to her car.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yumi, I'm home!" opening the door, Amaya was met with four odd stares. Yumi Kawakami, Gintoki, and Hijikata all sat on her couch, watching T.V. The men all scowled when they saw Takasugi walk into the room.  
"What's he doing here?" Bansai scowled at Amaya, and the other men soon added thir own two cents.  
"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU BRING HIM HOME WITH YOU!?" Gintoki was yelling so hard, a vein in his neck looked as though it would burst.  
"The fuck is this Amaya!?" Hijikata was just as pissed as Gintoki.  
Yumi was laying across their laps, still staring at the T.V

They were all met with a coy smile, and Amaya grabbed Takasugi's hand leading him to her room. "It's my house. If anything what are you doing here?" She exhaled humorously, and walked past the men.

"What do you want for lunch?" When they were in her room, Amaya turned to face Takasugi, who had a sneaky grin on his face.  
"You know they all hate me and you still brought me here?"  
"No, They weren't supposed to be here. I'll be right back..."  
Walking to the kitchen, Amaya grabbed some rice she had already cooked and warmed it in the microwave, along with some Miso, and beef. When she was finished, she started back to her room.  
"You're gonna feed him?" Hijikata.  
"He'll never leave if you give him that..." Bansai.  
"Are you fucking serious? You must be really stupid if you're gonna give him that." Gintoki, and everybody else glared at her.  
Holding the tray, Amaya stopped beside the couch.  
"My, you all seem talkative, but it's not polite to stop paying attention to the girl you're with to talk to another girl." She motioned to Yumi with her head.  
"Aren't you going to feed us?" Gintoki asked, and she shook her head.  
"Get Yumi to cook, I'm sure you'll love her specialty." Laughing, she shifted her gaze to the woman who was now looking up at her.

"Shut up, brat. If you're gonna sleep with that man hurry up. I don't want to have to hear that shit all night."  
The men all gazed down at Yumi stunned by her words.  
"You shouldn't be in that room alone with him..." Kawakami shifted his gaze back to Amaya as he spoke, and a sad smile had taken her lips.  
"You shouldn't be here... And Yumi, you're in my house... If I want to sleep with him..." She walked closed to the woman leaning in so everybody could hear her whisper.  
"You would have to listen to every low moan, and groan... I'll be sure to scream his name for you..."  
The men's jaws dropped, and they all stared at Amaya with horrified expressions, as if she had five heads. Yumi swiped at her leg, in an attempt to hit her, but Amaya backed up quickly.  
Speaking in a low voice she added "Anyway, it's not like anybody else wants it." and returned to her room.

"I'm sorry I took so long." Amaya smiled at Takasugi, who was laying on her bed.  
"You're fine... So why did you bring me over here again?" Leaning up he took the tray of food, and began to eat slowly.  
"You'll see in a few minutes..." Amaya sat on the bed beside him, occasionally picking beef off of his plate. She had brought two pairs of chopsticks, and grabbed another small piece, but this time raised it to Takasugi's lips. He eyed her oddly before accepting it. When he had finished, Amaya stood up and took the tray back to the kitchen. The men all watched her with odd expressions, but she paid them no mind. As she neared the door, she heard Yumi speak.  
"I'll be right back guys, I need to use the washroom." Yumi spoke in her usual cheerful voice, and Amaya knew she was coming to meet Takasugi.

Making sure to be away from him when Yumi came in, Amaya sat at her desk.  
"You're about to meet her." Takasugi nodded, and moments later Yumi cracked the door.

"Hi! I'm Yumi, Amaya's cousin!" The woman bounced over to Takasugi who stared at her wide eyed.  
"I'm Takasugi... You can call me Takasugi-Sama..." He shifted his gaze, and the woman strolled over to the bed sitting beside him.  
"Sama? That's so serious though... How about Takasugi?"  
"No." He glared at her, and she looked surprised by his response.  
"Oh, come on... No need to be so formal... You can call me Yumi... Just... Yumi..." She reached up to move his hair, and he leaned away from her.  
"I was already going to call you that." His voice was cold, and Yumi slightly gasped.

"Hmm... I like men who have such a strong sense of pride..." Getting up She walked over to Amaya.  
"Hey, Ya-Chan..." Yumi leaned onto Amaya's desk, as if she was speaking in private.  
Amaya looked at Takasugi, who was scowling.  
"**What are you doing? **Disgusting..." Takasugi shifted his gaze, and Yumi stood straight up.  
"What? D-Disgusting?" She sounded breathless, and Amaya grinned.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know she would act like this! Especially in front of somebody so important, she must have though that we were involved!" Quickly standing up, Amaya grabbed Takasugi's hand and led him from the room, leaving a very stunned Yumi behind. As they walked down the hallway she made sure to speak loud enough for the men to hear.  
"Please forgive me sir! I really didn't expect her to act in such an inappropriate manner!" Takasugi nodded silently before gazing at her.  
"That woman is no good... Why is she at your house?"  
"She just showed up unexpectedly. She always does this. I move, she follows and sleeps with every man I know. It's a tedious process." Amaya smiled at him and they passed the couch.  
"You are the first man who didn't fall for her games Takasugi... You're amazing..."

Gintoki, Hijikata, and Kawakami all stared at her frowning. Amaya and Takasugi stopped at the door.

"Does that mean I passed your test?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded.  
"With flying colors. Every body always leaves me in hopes of sleeping with her. And they always succeed, but then she throws them away, growing bored at the lack of challenge. After that, they want to come back to me. I never accept them again though." She gazed at the men on the couch, who all straightened their backs under her gaze.

"It's childish... Really... Come on, I'll take you back, oh, when can I start again?"  
"Tomorrow... And what do I get for passing your test?" Takasugi grinned down at her, obviously understanding what she was doing.  
"Oh, I almost forgot... Come out here." Opening the door, Amaya stepped outside, followed by Takasugi. He held the door knob firmly in his hand, and Amaya placed a hand on his chest.  
"For passing... You get..."

The men inside listened as intensely as possible and stared at the fading opening of the door.  
Just as Amaya brought her lips to only a few inches away from Takasugi's, he closed the door, resulting in loud complaints from inside.  
"To date me." Amaya breathed and Takasugi smirked.  
"You wouldn't happen to be using me would you?" He seemed Amused by her and she nodded.  
"Only for a little while... We can play around like before... but no sex... and don't hurt me as much..."  
A thrilled expression crossed Takasugi's face, and Amaya tried to continue her act. She knew that she had just made a horrible mistake, but it was the only way she knew to get the men to listen to her. She truly didn't want to work for Takasugi again. She didn't want to be scared as she had been in the past, but she didn't have many resources, and figured if she seemed more willing, it wouldn't be so bad.

That night she called the supervisor at work. Explaining that she was going to immerse herself in school for some important tests, she was met with a reassuring solution.  
"Well, when you finish, you could always come back. You're a good waitress Amaya, and I hope you pass."  
Thanking the woman, Amaya quickly hung up. She was laying in her bed, and the room was dark around her. The only thing left to do was sleep, and hope that life wouldn't be as hard as it was before. As she dozed off, creaking sounds in the hallway snapped her back to reality. Her door squeaked open, and Amaya turned to face the figure in the dark.  
"Ya-Chan..." Yumi walked to her bed, and Amaya sat up, waiting for the girl to speak.  
"You told him to say that, didn't you?"  
"No, I didn't." Shaking her head as she spoke, Amaya reached to the lamp beside her bed.  
"Yes you did... No man would ever call me disgusting... I'm exactly what they all dream of... I worked hard to become this... to become me..." Yumi's voice sounded full of sorrow, but she smacked Amaya's hand away from the light.

"Yumi-San? What are you doing?" Alarmed Amaya tried to make out any detail she could in the dark.  
"They were right, you know..."  
"Who?" Amaya had no clue what she was talking about.  
"About you... You really are cursed. You bring misfortune to everybody around you. You really are the demon child." Yumi's voice became a deep growl, and Amaya scooted away from her.  
"What the hell do you want Yumi?"  
"That's SAN to you! YUMI-SAN!... I tried to call Kawakami tonight... He didn't answer... I also tried to call Hijikata and Gintoki... They didn't answer either... What did you say to them?"  
Now Amaya was getting worried. Yumi sounded as though she was going to jump on her at any second and she shook her head.  
"Those are your puppets... Not mine. Maybe you need new strings? Any way, you've already slept with one of the three. Only two more to go as far as I'm concerned."  
Yumi threw her head back letting out a loud cackle.  
"You really believed that? You were really tricked by a movie!? You're just as stupid as they say!"  
"A movie?" Amaya raised her eyebrow, but it was covered by the darkness.

"You're so fucking gullible." A hand quickly slapped across Amaya's face, and her eyes began to well.  
"That's punishment for making that man be so rude. Bring him back, and don't do it again."  
"You've got to be kidding me!" Yumi had started to walk away, but Amaya grabbed her hair and pulled her back.  
"You must be out of your mind! What the hell is wrong with you!?" The glow from a phone distracted her, and Yumi began to furiously dial numbers. Amaya didn't know what she was doing but she quickly pushed the phone away. Yumi had called Hijikata, Gintoki, and Kawakami, linking all of the calls together, and when the phone hit the floor it was still dialing.

"You take everything away from me! You always have!" A voice distracted her, and she peered around the room, not seeing the phone. The display screen had darkened.  
"What are you talking about Ya-Chan? Please don't hurt me!" Yumi had completely switched her attitude, and Amaya didn't know why.  
"Hurt you? Hurt YOU? You just smacked me! You suck all of the life out of me, and act like it never happened. You took all of my friends! The small amount of romance I had in my life! And now I have to go back to a shitty job, getting groped and harassed all day by my boss, and pretend to like it! Who knows how far it could go this time! This is all your fault! This is... This is..." Amaya knew she heard voices now. They were small and had been calling out, now it sounded like they were talking to each other.

Yumi had been silent this whole time but now she stared at Amaya.  
"Raped? Don't act like that Ya-Chan. I don't know what you're talking about, but you can't blame everything on me!"  
Shoving Yumi into the desk Amaya knew that she had called somebody. Yumi cried out from the pain, but Amaya ignored her. Searching for the voices she found her phone and looked at all of the names.  
"Oh shit..." Swearing under her breath she held the phone up.  
"You did this didn't you? You called them all?! Why they hell would you even do that? Do you need attention that badly?"

She could hear the Gintoki speaking.  
"We better get over there... This doesn't sound good."  
"Yeah..." Bansai replied.  
"This is ridiculous... How can one woman cause so much drama?" Hijikata sounded as if he had been sleeping.

"That's it Yumi... That's it... I just... I..."Amaya felt herself snapping. Once again this woman has come into her life, and made a mess of everything. As if it wasn't bad enough, and just to add insult to injury, she called the three men that Amaya didn't want to see.  
Amaya started to snicker, and it grew into an eerie laugh. Yumi stood frozen by the desk as Amaya walked to her side, snapping the phone closed.  
"You did this... Just know that you did this to me... To yourself..."  
"What are you going to do?" Yumi now sounded scared, and Amaya chuckled.  
"You have no idea what I had to go through because of this job I just took... I just couldn't let you take my life again... I couldn't... You know." Inching closer to the woman, Amaya smirked.  
"If they weren't on their way... I would kill you... Right here... Right now... But since I can't..." Amaya grabbed the side of Yumi's hair, and smashed her into the desk, making sure to hit her head, and make the girl scream.

Next, Amaya rushed from the house, and to her car. _'I can't take this any more... I can't...'_


	4. Chapter 4

Starting the engine, Amaya pulled out of the drive way, only a few seconds before she saw Hijikata's car, followed by Gintoki and Kawakami. Hijikata saw her, and turned down the street behind her. Seeing him Amaya sped up, trying to think of a place she could go to lose him. He followed her for ten minutes, before they finally reached a red light. When she stopped, he pulled in front of her, blocking her path. Amaya watched him as he got out of the car, and contemplated using the sidewalk as a road. It wasn't wide enough, and soon he was tapping on her window. She ignored him, trying not to even look, but he took the handle of his sword, and smashed it open. Amaya jumped and leaned away from him.

"What the fuck?! Don't you think that was a little excessive?!" He didn't respond. Just reached and unlocked the door. Opening the door, he leaned into the drivers seat, and towards Amaya.  
"You just broke my window! You can't act hot right now!" He shook his head.  
"Fuck the window..." His voice was a low growl, and he continued to move closer to her.  
"Where exactly were you planning on going?" Amaya shook her head, not wanting to offer an answer.  
"What the hell were you thinking?! You took that job just to make us realize what kind of a person Yumi is?! You put yourself in danger for something so STUPiD?!" Feeling ashamed, she dropped her head as he yelled at her.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been? Did you even think of that?" Amaya shook her head, not wanting to look at him.  
"I told him that if he helped me... I would... That I would be his..." Her voice was low, and Hijikata let out a frustrated growl.  
"His? HIS? You can't be his, because you're MINE!"

Now she peered up at him, shocked. After realizing what he had said Hijikata shifted his gaze, his face flushing a deep shade of pink.  
"You don't need to go work there... You don't need to put yourself back in that position!"  
"I already gave him my word..."  
"You almost kissed him in front of me! Your word can be broken... Damn it Amaya, can't you see!?"

Without giving her time to respond he crashed his lips into hers. Amaya was stunned by his gesture, and placed her hands on the seat behind her, to steady herself. Hijikata grabbed her waist, pulling her closer, and she soon found herself wrapping her arms around him. Their tongues began to mingle, and Amaya couldn't contain a small moan which forced its way out.

When Hijikata pulled away from her, Amaya gazed up at him.  
"T-Toshiro... We really shouldn't... I told you how I felt before... And because of the deal I made... This is kind of like cheating... I can't be dishonest... I just-"  
"Cheating? You aren't in a relationship with that creep! You don't even like him!"  
"But I... I told him that if he agreed to my terms then I would work for him again... I gave him permission to treat me like before... There's nothing you can do..." Hijikata scowled at her words, and shook his head.  
"Oh, I can do something... I can do a lot when things get tough..."  
Noticing the hand on his sword, Amaya placed a hand over it. "You can't kill him. It's my fault... But if you do want to kill somebody... Kill me." It was a serious request, and Hijikata could tell. She obviously had a death wish, and it became more apparent now then when the jumped from the wall.

"Kill you?" She nodded, and pulled him closer.  
"You'd be doing me a favor... I wouldn't have to deal with all of this shit any more... I don't want to work for him any more. It would be impossible if I was dead." She had a sultry tone in her voice, but Hijikata was not about to be fooled by her words. He pushed her back across the seats.  
"I'm not going to kill you, stupid." With that he stared towards his car, calling out to her.

"I better see you in class tomorrow... Or I'll be angry." Gazing at her from the driver seat, he stepped into his car.

Amaya closed her door, looking at all of the glass on the seat, and floor.  
'Just what I need... More bills...'


	5. Chapter 5

When Amaya returned home, Gintoki and Kawakami were sitting on the couch with Yumi. Yumi was crying, and holding her head, where a stream of blood was falling from her hair.

When Amaya walked in, They all peered at her, and Yumi began to sob louder.  
"She's come back to hit me again! You two will protect me, right?" She gazed up at the two men, and they didn't respond. Amaya walked over to them.  
"So... Thanks for taking care of her... You two can go home, or take her with you... I don't care..." Starting toward her room, Amaya was surprised to hear Yumi shouting. "Where are you going?! You're just going to leave me? You're really going to her?"  
Kawakami responded to her. "Shut up..."

After reaching her room, Kawakami followed after her. "Hey, Maya."  
Turning to look at him, she raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"  
"You're really going to work for him again..? After what happened? If you really need affection you can always come back to me..." He moved closer to her, in an attempt to wrap his arms around her, and kiss her, but she turned away from him.  
"I told you... It's been fun, but..." Gazing at him over her shoulder, she lowered her eyes to the floor. "You let her kiss you... You let her take you away, and would not have cared about me if I hadn't done this... I have no choice. I have to work for him now."

He remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, but soon he placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back around.  
"You can't be serious... You can't turn me down..."

"I can... I'm dating Takasugi now, in return for his helping me." He stared at her wide eyed. His mouth was open as if he wanted to say something, but instead he just started away.

"I'll fix this again..." His voice was a low murmur, and Amaya shook her head.  
"Don't... I'll save my self. I don't need your help... You've been tainted. By her. Even if you did truly come back, we could never be the same... Never." Amaya felt a painful lump form in he throat as she spoke, but tried her best not to acknowledge it. Kawakami seemed surprised, but just left.

Moments later Amaya heard Yumi scream. "YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME?! SERIOUSLY?! I JUST GOT ASSAULTED AND YOU'RE LEAVING?!"

Unable to hear the response, Amaya smirked. Her plan had worked, but now she was back at square one.

The next morning Amaya dragged herself out of bed. She really didn't want to go to school, but she knew that Hijikata would scold her if she didn't. After getting ready, and taking her pets out, she was surprised to see Yumi on the couch, looking a mess. Amaya couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman and sat down beside her.  
"Yumi-San... Are you okay?"

The older woman scowled at Amaya. "I'm _fine_!" She snapped.

Shaking her head Amaya sighed. "You know you did this to yourself, right? If you really want to make things right, then leave... I'll make you sound as good as possible if you do... And maybe one day, you could return... But until then..."  
Yumi peered up at Amaya, not sure how to respond.  
"You just want me gone... You don't mean what you say..." Shaking her head, Amaya placed hand on Yumi's shoulder.

"If you stay here, acting depressed, there are going to be a lot of lonely men out there... Do you really want that to be your fault? Are you really gong to let three losers turn you into something like this? Look at yourself, you look pathetic!" Yumi gasped at her words, and began to wipe smudged eye liner away from her cheeks.

"Good... Clean yourself up, and when I get back today I'll help you get everything together... Just in case you do decide to leave though..." Amaya slipped some money into Yumi's lap.  
"Gas money..." Yumi gazed up at the girl still scowling.  
"You're not going to get rid of me so easily! I know you're just jealous!"  
Amaya turned around, glaring down at the woman.  
"Nobody wants you here... I was trying to be nice about it... But this town doesn't need somebody like you... Somebody who's so easy, they'll sleep with anything that walks..." Yumi gasped at her words, and Amaya left.

At school, when Amaya walked into the hallway it was oddly empty. Gintoki walked by her and she called out to him.  
"Sensei! Where is everybody?" He gazed at her over his shoulder.  
"School assembly, in the gym." With that he left, and Amaya started down the hallway. Before she could reach the gym, she was pulled into a dark classroom.

"What's going on? Who are you?" Her heart began to beat wildly within her chest, until she heard the familiar voice.  
"It's me." The spark of a lighter illuminated Hijikata's face as he lit a cigarette.  
"You're going to smoke in here?" Amaya's eyes widened, and he nodded.  
"You too."

Chuckling Amaya grabbed the smoke from him and placed it between her lips.  
"What is this room?"  
"A closet." He sounded like he wanted to say more, but was contemplating how.

"What is it? Are you okay?" Amaya held the cigarette out for him, and in a few seconds it was gently pulled from her hand.

"Well... I don't want you to go to work..." He sounded hesitant and she dropped her head.  
"Toshiro... You know that-"  
"I know..." Dropping the cigarette to the ground, he stepped on it.  
"You can go if you want... I don't care..." Slightly gasping Amaya could not see the expression on his face, but knew it wasn't a happy one.  
"You know that's not true... Don't say things like that." A hand was placed on her shoulder, and slid to her waist. His other hand landed on her lower back, and he pulled her against himself.  
"Amaya-" He hesitated once again.  
"I'm glad you came to school today..." His lips brushed against her forehead, and down her nose to her own lips. She gripped his sleeves tightly, and he walked her back against the door.

"Toshi..." Breaking the contact between them Amaya placed her head on his chest.  
"I told you that I'm dating-"  
"Don't say it!" He tightened his grip around her.  
"I don't care about that bastard... The moment he hurts you... Tell me." With that he let her go, and exited the room. Amaya didn't know what to do. She felt torn between the two, and the only thing she wanted, was to get away from Takasugi.

When Amaya returned to her house, Yumi was gone. She found nothing but a note that said. "Fuck you." Her first day back at work was just like old times, before she got harassed that is. Takasugi didn't try anything, but she would catch him gazing up at her occasionally. A week passed and things continued the same. Amaya would sneak around, meeting up with Hijikata, and then have to go to work, where Takasugi would just watch her. She could feel his eyes on her back every time she cleaned a table, or walk by the window.

Today Amaya had to open the store early. She was by her self as usual, and the day was slow. It was a Wednesday morning and when Takasugi came in Amaya suppressed the urge to hide from him.

"Miss. Mori... You seem to be getting the hang of this again."

Turning around to face him, Amaya was met with a cold smirk.  
"Yes sir. I wasn't gone for too long." Moving to another table, Amaya placed a basket of condiments in the center.  
"Come with me..." Before she knew it, his hands were wrapping around her waist. He left no space between them, and pulled her back against his chest.  
Amaya didn't speak, she just stared out of the window. It was too early for customers or other employees to show up. Takasugi lowered his lips, pressing them against her neck.

"Miss. Mori..." Sighing, Amaya allowed him to lead her to the office. He pushed her onto the desk, and began to kiss her deeply. Having no choice but to oblige, Amaya numbed her mind. Though he hadn't been doing anything since she started, it was obvious that it would only be a matter of time before he did.

"Are you not satisfied?" Breaking the contact between them, Takasugi scowled as he spoke.  
"I guess I'll have to do more..." His scowl turned into a smug smirk, as he lowered himself closer to her.  
"Do you need more excitement?" Shifting her gaze Amaya softly closed her hand and placed it against her chest.  
"I'm fine with this..."

He raised an eyebrow at her, his expression unchanging.  
"Oh? Alright... Let's make this more fun..." Before she could ask him what he meant, his hands slid up her skirt, and he snatched her panties off.  
"T- Takasugi-Sama! I-I said we couldn't do this..!"

Peering down at the girl, he opened his drawer, and placed the panties inside.

"You can come get them when your shift is over... Until then, try not to bend over..."

Amaya's face flushed a deep shade of red.  
"T- Takasugi-Sama! You can't-"  
"Drop the Sama... When we're alone, you can call me what you'd like... We are dating, after all." His voice was low, and Amaya dropped her head.

Later in the day, Amaya couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment that had crept over her, and stayed. Their weren't many customers, and Amaya cleaned tables, waiting for another. The only people that had come in for work were her, Takasugi and a cook. Trying to ignore the breeze between her legs, Amaya moved to the cash register organizing the money, and making 'drops'. When she had logged all of the money in a small book the bell on the door rang.

"Welcome to the Vortex! How are you today?" A man walked in, and Amaya quickly seated him. He ordered his drink, and Amaya left to retrieve it, giving him time to decide what his meal would be. When she returned he placed his order, and she left to tell the cook. When she neared the storefront, the bell on the door sounded and she plastered a smile onto her lips.  
"Welcome to the Vortex! How may I-" The moment Amaya laid eyes on the man, her voice caught. Hijikata, was standing in the doorway. His expression was tense, and Amaya's face flushed at the thought of her missing underwear.  
"How may I help you?"  
Hijikata reached up, running a hand through his hair.  
"I just want a coffee..." Nodding Amaya led him to a table as far away from Takasugi's window as possible. When he sat down, Amaya spoke to him in a hushed tone.  
" Toshi, what are you doing here?"  
An annoyed expression crossed his face, and he rolled his eyes.  
"I just wanted the coffee." It was obvious that he was checking on her, but she decided not to push it. When Amaya returned with his coffee, he mumbled a thank you and she gazed down at him.  
"Please don't do anything... Rash. I know that it may seem like the way he talks to me, and treats me is bad, but I can handle it."  
He glared at her, yet nodded silently.

Moving to the table that the customer was at, Amaya grabbed their cup to bring him a refill.  
When she returned she had his food, and the man thanked her.  
"Amaya! Come here!" Turning to face Takasugi's voice, she glanced at Hijikata, before walking to the office.

"You're moving quickly today." Takasugi stood in front of his desk, leaning against it. He motioned for Amaya to come to his side, and she did as instructed, walking to his outstretched arm.  
"I know who that man is... You should try not to speak to him too much... I might get jealous."  
A small gasp parted her lips, but she just dropped her head submissively.

"So are you enjoying your day?" His lips twisted into a smirk, and she refused to answer.  
"It looks like you are..." Moving, he held her firmly in place and leaned against her.  
"Miss. Mori..." She gazed up at him, waiting to hear the rest of his sentence.  
"You may act like you don't like this, but I know you enjoy the freedom..."  
He locked his lips to hers, and she felt his hand slide up her thigh. Her body tensed, as she wondered how far he would go, but they were interrupted by a voice.  
"Waitress! I need another coffee!" It was Hijikata, and Takasugi scowled when Amaya looked in the direction of the windows, moving her lips away.

His hand moved from her shoulder to her jaw, forcing her lips back to his. He kissed her deeply, biting down hard on her lip. She yelped, and as he pulled away Takasugi chuckled.  
"Go take care of your customers." He softly brushed his hand against her, before pulling away. Without a word Amaya fled the room.

"I apologize for the wait sir!" Grabbing the coffee cup from the table in front of Hijikata, Amaya started to turn away, but was stopped by a soft hand that clasped around her wrist.  
"Your lip..." Hijikata was peering up at her and she raised her hand to the sore spot.  
"Oh, I umm- cut it on an envelope..." Pulling away from him she quickly retrieved the coffee. Her eyes were dull, and emotionless, when she returned. She had cleaned her lip, and placed the cup in front of him.  
"Amaya-"  
"Toshi, we can't talk here... Call me later, I get off at Seven." After cutting him off, she rushed away and to the other customer. The man had finished eating, and asked for his check. Nodding Amaya quickly retrieved it, but when the man saw it he started to complain.  
"I asked for the onions and cheese to be taken off, but my bill is still the same?" The man glared up at her, and Amaya cocked her head to the side.  
"I'm sorry sir, but the prices are still fixed even if you have little things taken off."  
"That's bullshit, fix it!" He snarled the words at her and Amaya leaned back a bit.  
"I- Well- Please forgive me sir, but I don't have the authority to change the prices." She bowed to the man, but he didn't seem satisfied.  
"You don't have the authority? Then I want to speak with somebody who does!"

A sharp breath pierced Amaya's lungs, and her eyes widened. "Yes sir..." There was nothing she could do but get Takasugi, and she was sure that she would be punished.


	6. Chapter 6

Upon returning to the table with Takasugi, Amaya explained the situation. Takasugi nodded silently, and Amaya turned to the man, forcing a smile.  
Takasugi stood directly behind her, placed a hand on her back as he spoke.  
"So you want the price of the onions and cheese to be taken out?" The man nodded, and Amaya felt the hand on her back slide down to her skirt.  
"Hmm.. I think that can be arranged... Is there anything else that has been unsatisfactory?"  
The man began to rant about how she was a nice girl, but she disappear in the middle of his meal and continuous other things. Things about the town, that had nothing to do with the restaurant, but Takasugi just nodded.

His hand slipped under her skirt, and Amaya felt Takasugi's fingers begin to wander. Her face flushed a deep shade of red, and she bit her lower lip to suppress the moans he was forcing out of her.  
"Well sir, we apologize that your time in Edo has not been satisfactory. We do hope that you return one day, and have a better experience." The man nodded and Amaya let out a pant. She shifted her gaze to Hijikata who was staring straight at her. Her face burned a more intense color, and she dropped her head. Takasugi began to stroke harder now, and she felt his finger at her entrance.  
Peering up at him, she was met with a calm smirk.  
"So is there anything else that we can do for you sir?" The man gazed at the ceiling, seeming to be unaware of Amaya's small pants.  
"Well... I'm not sure. I think I'm satisfied."  
Takasugi pushed his finger into her and Amaya jumped slightly. Before any more words could be spoken, a smashing sound came from the direction of Hijikata's table. Amaya gazed to her side at him, seeing that there was coffee streaming onto the floor.

Takasugi's smirk did not fade as Hijikata made his way over to them.  
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" He didn't even try to contain himself, and shoved Takasugi back.  
"Tosh- Hijikata! Don't!" Amaya grabbed his arm, but he snatched away from her.  
"You're actually okay with this?! You're really going to take that sort of shit?! You're just going to- You're..." He fell silent and dropped his gaze.  
"You're not even going to fight?" Takasugi had an amused grin, and Hijikata scowled at him.

"I-I-" Amaya couldn't think of the words to say that would calm his mind. She instead dropped her head, and attempted to hold back the salty water which flooded her eyes.  
"I'm sorry..." Her voice was small, and Hijikata growled in frustration. Unable to contain himself, he started towards the door, leaving Amaya with a deep sense of shame.

Takasugi walked back to the customer.  
"We apologize for that small show... That man is known to be delirious at times. We think he is on drugs."

When her shift was completed, Amaya sat in Takasugi's office. He commanded her to come see him before leaving, and she hesitantly agreed.

"Miss. Mori, you caused quite a commotion today... I expect you to pay for the damaged cup, and the two coffees."  
"Yes sir."  
"Also, on a more personal level..." Takasugi stood up, and walked behind her chair. Her body stiffened when he placed his hands on her shoulders, and she felt his warm breath on her ear.  
"You need to stop talking to those men at your school... If you don't listen to me, I'll make your job a living hell... You'll regret it. So, you might not want to stop and chat if they come in here... And if I hear that you're speaking to them at school, I'll make you drop out."

She did not respond to him, and he lowered his lips to her neck.  
"If they try to talk to you, remember who you belong to... Show them this..."  
She knew what he was going to do, and was not surprised when she felt his teeth clamp down on her. Unable to prevent herself from crying out, Amaya wondered how much of this she could take. She had known what would happen, yet she still agreed to this.

Takasugi's tongue began to flick across her skin, and he reached down between her thighs.  
"T- Takasugi... You're going too fast..."  
"Fast?" She couldn't see the grin on his face, and he continued to kiss her neck.  
"You'll enjoy it soon... You'll start to crave this..."  
A low moan parted her lips, and she shifted her gaze, trying to maintain her emotionless facade.  
Soon Takasugi stepped away from her, and walked to the desk. Opening a drawer, he threw her panties back to her.  
"You can go now." His smirk never faded, as Amaya grabbed the fabric.  
"You know, Miss. Mori, I always thought you would be more difficult to break... If you ever wanted to put up a fight again, I wouldn't mind..." A sinister grin curled his lips, and she lowered her gaze.  
"You have no idea how easy it was. It was obvious, from the moment I walked into your house, what was going on. I know you have some will left, but the fact that you gave me your word is stopping you, isn't it?" He waited for her answer, but realizing that she wouldn't speak he continued.  
"I'll take good care of you... Also, you need to show more enthusiasm. I expect you to come in here to see me, like a proper girlfriend... Before you go, I expect a kiss. You will act accordingly."

Amaya stood up, pushing her underwear into her over to him, she swallowed her pride, and leaned into him. Their lips met, and Takasugi's hand cupped her jaw. When she pulled back,he spoke.  
"Was that so hard?"  
She wanted to say yes. To tell him that there was somebody else that she liked, but knowing that that would only cause more problems, she bit her tongue.  
He captured her lips again, moving her to the desk.  
"And... Amaya..." He breathed the words into her lips, and pulled back.  
"If you ever try some crazy shit again, like that night at the park, you'll be punished."

With that, he let her go, and she left the restaurant. When Amaya made it to her house, she didn't even feel like going inside; she just sat in the car. Her phone rang, but she ignored it.  
_'Is this what my life is going to be like from now on?' _The thought repeated in her mind, and she couldn't help but cry. Leaning her seat back, she lit a cigarette, sighing loudly.

When she finally made it inside she had missed five calls. Having successfully numbed herself, Amaya sat on the couch, lost in thought. Late that evening there was a knock at her door, and she pretended not to hear it. It wasn't until she heard a certain threat that she decided to let the man in.

"I'll break your window!" Hijikata stood on her doorstep, and when she opened the door, the man pushed past her, and into the house.

"_Why_ the _hell _have you been ignoring my calls?!" Closing the door behind him Amaya refused to look at him. "Well... Tak-"  
"I don't care! Save your excuses! Why the fuck did you let him do that to you today?!"  
Amaya flushed a bright shade of pink, and shifted her gaze.

"It's not like I wanted him to! I couldn't say something in front of a customer!"  
"Do you think I wanted to see another man touch you? You really think that I-"  
"We can't talk any more..." She cut him off, and he stared at her, wide eyed.  
"He said that I can't talk to you, or anybody else... I can't-"  
"FUCK HIM! I DON'T CARE _WHAT_ HE SAID! HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU!"

Shaking her head Amaya attempted to conceal the fresh tears that had brewed in her eyes with her forearm. Hijikata wrapped his arms around her, pulling her firmly against himself.  
"Amaya... You can't just stop talking to me because of him... I know you'd prefer me... Don't push me away..."  
Despite his words, Amaya tried to pull away from him, but he just pushed her against the door, stealing her lips.

Her fight was soon abandoned, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Hijikata's tongue pushed against her lips, and she granted him acess beyond them. His hand dropped from her back to her waist, and he held her firmly against himself. When he pulled away, they both panted lightly, and he turned to face Amaya.  
"I won't let him have you... I won't." He placed a hand on the door knob, but she gripped his shoulder tightly.  
"Don't go... Please. Stay, I don't want to be alone... I don't want to have sex... I just want to sleep..."

Hijikata peered down at the girl, and nodded.


	7. Chapter 7

Walking down the hall way Hijikata sneaked an occasional glance at Amaya. She didn't seem to notice, and he remembered the first night she had come to his house. When they reached her room, Hijikata turned to her.

"Amaya... Did he..?"  
She stared up at him curiously, and he reached towards her face. She expected him to cup her jaw, maybe kiss her, but he slid her hair over her shoulder, exposing a dark bruise.  
Realizing what he had just seen, she placed both of her hands over her neck.  
"It's nothing..."  
Her words did not stop the angered expression from taking his face.  
"That fuc- I'm gonna kill him!" placing a hand on his sword, Hijikata quickly turned towards the door, but Amaya wrapped herelf around his arm.  
"Wait! Don't-"  
"LET ME GO!" He snatched himself away from her, but she did not give up. Amaya continued to grip his arm, and each time she did, he jerked away from her and to the door.  
"Toshi! Stop!"

Her words fell upon deaf ears, and the man still fought his way from the room. Eventually she grabbed him one last time, before he pulled away and shoved her back. Amaya fell to the floor, crying out from the pain that surged through her body. He froze in place, staring at her as she rose to her feet.  
"A-... Amaya..."

Scowling she walked over to him.  
"Get out..." Her voice was low and Hijikata didn't know how to respond.  
"Go... Get out!" Shoving him back, hot tears began to sting her eyes. The fact that she was crying again only angered her further, as she pushed him away.  
"You want to leave so badly? To treat me like him, push me around? I don't need any more of that in my life!" She continued to push him, until he caught her wrists, and pulled the struggling girl against his body. She fought against him, but he was too strong. That didn't discourage her though, and he started to walk her back into the room.

Before she knew it, he was pushing her back onto the bed. Amaya continued to tell him to leave, but he ignored her demands, still restraining her wrists, so to avoid being hit.

He placed his lips to hers, and her struggle began to die down. Soon, she returned his kiss, still softly hitting his shoulders.  
"Amaya..." Pulling back, he gazed down at the girl, who could not conceal the conflicted expression that had taken her face.  
"Don't ever compare me to him... I would never hurt you... Not like he does..."

She gazed up into his eyes, and seconds later he brought his lips back to hers. Now she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down against herself. Her leg wrapped over one of his, and she moaned softly into his lips.  
"T...To-shiro..." He moved his lips to her neck, kissing the opposite side of her bruise.  
"You smell sweet..." His voice was breathy, and Amaya felt excitement coursing through her veins.  
"Toshi... If you don't stop... I won't- be able to help myself..."  
His lips had migrated down to her chest, and his hand brushed against her through her pants.  
"I don't want you to..." His words only pushed her closer towards ecstasy, and a low moan escaped her lips. Hijikata began to pull her clothes away from her body, and strip his own.  
He didn't stop until they had nothing, but their underclothes, between them.

"I don't want anybody else to touch you... I want to be the only one... If you get any more bruises... I'm _going_ to solve your problem..."

Snapped to reality, Amaya gazed down at him, wondering how to respond. Her train of thought was halted when he scooted her up, and placed himself against her.  
"Toshiro! What are you doing? I told you I didn't want to-" Her words were interrupted by a gasp when he push himself into her. Digging her nails into his skin, Amaya shifted her gaze.

"Toshi... I said I didn't-" He cut her off with a kiss, and began to pump into her, resulting in low moans. Unable to contain herself any longer, Amaya pulled him closer, kissing him passionately. He eagerly accepted her tongue, and began to push against her with more force.  
Hijikata groaned lightly, pulling her with him as he fell to his side.  
They gasped for air when their lips parted. Uncontrollable moans parted their lips and escaped to the air surrounding them. Amaya grinded her hips against his, and their eyes met, locking in an intense gaze.

"He can't have you..." His words were a growl and Amaya glanced away.  
"He can't... You're mine..." Lowering his lips to her neck, Amaya was stunned when pain surged through her body. "Toshi! W-What are you?" Pushing him away from herself, Amaya brought her hand to her neck.  
"Mine..." He repeated, pulling her closer.

It was true that Amaya wanted him just as badly as he wanted her, but she couldn't help but feel worried. She hadn't wanted it to happen like this, and now that it had, she knew there was no turning back.

When Amaya pushed him again, he rolled back on top of her, pinning her down. She had never had it so rough before, and though she knew she shouldn't, she liked it.  
"Toshir-" He snatched her bra down, exposing her completely, and his lips moved to one of her nipples. Moaning loudly Amaya let her head fall back as his teeth scraped against her.  
Hijikata moved his lips back to her neck, and began to lightly kiss her skin. When he bit down again, her nails dug into his back, and he slammed into her. He began to move rougher then before, and bit her one final time before she felt him spasm inside of her. Dragging her nails up his back, Amaya let out one final moan, reaching her climax at the same time.

She didn't understand why she enjoyed it, but she pulled Hijikata down on top of her, Holding the man in her arms lovingly. He was sweating slightly, and they sighed in unison.  
"I- I couldn't help myself..." His voice was low, and Amaya nodded, running a hand through his hair.  
"I understand..." Was all she said.

When he had fallen asleep, Amaya moved from under him and to the bathroom. She wasn't surprised to find more bruises on her neck. They weren't as large as the one from Takasugi, but she knew that they would cause a problem. Sighing in defeat she moved back to the bed. Hijikata had rolled over onto his back, and Amaya caught sight of the condom he had used, which was still on him. Pulling it off, she threw it into the trash beside the bed, and crawled over him. After laying down, all Amaya could think about was the bruises. She didn't know what she would do, but she knew she needed an excuse.

'Maybe makeup?' Nodding at the thought, she glanced up at Hijikata, who was sleeping peacefully.


	8. Chapter 8

"Toshi, wake up." Amaya nudged Hijikata softly, and he groaned in response.  
"What?" His voice was groggy, and he opened one eye to peer up at the girl.  
"I have to go to work... It's morning."

Groaning he wrapped his arms around her, and rolled over, pulling her back into the bed.  
"No." He closed his eye, holding her firmly against himself.  
"Come on, let me up I don't have long." She wiggled away from him, and he let out a deep sigh. Once she was back out of the bed, he leaned up onto his elbow watching her.  
"Don't go back... Quit."  
Frowning Amaya shook her head.  
"I can't."

She quickly left the room, and took a shower. When she was done she stared at the bruises on her neck. The only option she had was covering them with makeup, so that's exactly what she did. After returning to the room, she gave him a quick kiss, telling him there was food in her refrigerator, and he could stay as long as he liked. He still protested, but she shook her head.

Nervousness filled Amaya as she opened the store. Wondering if Takasugi would notice the marks, she made sure to be extra careful about her job, doing everything perfectly. When he came in, the first thing he did was kiss her deeply.  
"Are you ready for another day of fun..?" His smirk was unnerving, and Amaya shifted her gaze.  
"Everything looks like it's been done already... Come to my office..." He spoke in his usual low tone, and she tried to conceal the worried expression that threatened to take her face. After he unlocked his door, she followed him inside. He locked it behind them and moved to his desk.  
"Sit down."  
Following his instructions, Amaya sat in one of the chairs. Takasugi laughed at her.  
"I'm not going to hurt you today... Just play around a little bit..." He moved behind her and began to kiss her neck as he had before, this time on the opposite side of the bruise he had left. When his tongue flicked over her skin, he pulled back, she knew she had been caught.  
"Is that makeup..?"  
"No!" She lied, trying to sound cheerful. Apparently it was too cheerful and he knew she was hiding something. Burying his hand in her hair, he snatched her head to the side resulting in a small cry from the girl.  
He grabbed a napkin from his desk, and spit on it, then moved it to her neck uncovering the marks from Hijikata.

"Who the fuck did this?" Now his voice was a low growl, and Amaya's heart began to race.  
"I-It's from you!"  
"Do you think I'm stupid?" He lifted her up and shoved her across his desk.  
"You tell me no sex, and then go off and fuck somebody else? What happened to my prize, huh?"  
"Takasugi! Just let me explain." She tried to squirm away from him, but he placed a hand on her back, firmly pinning her down.  
"Explain what? That my girlfriend is out sleeping with other men? I saw the car in front of your house last night, but I wasn't going to say anything... Tell me something..." He lowered himself down placing his lips only inches from her ear.  
"Do you expect me to wait when you clearly aren't a virgin? Or when you give it to somebody else, thinking that I won't notice? I notice everything about you..."  
Amaya still tried to move, but Takasugi's weight was too much for her to break away from.  
"I told you that you would regret this... Didn't think that you would actually do anything though..." She felt his hands slip under her skirt, and moments later her panties were snatched down.  
"This isn't going to be fun... Not for you at least..." Amaya reached to the other side of the desk trying to pull herself away, but no matter how she moved she couldn't escape.  
"You're only making this more fun, you know." A wicked chuckle filled the air, and she felt her eyes begin to burn.  
"Shinsuke! Let me go! I didn't actually let it happen last night! I didn't try to!"

"Well then fight me how you did him..." He smack her ars, and she jumped at the sensation.  
"And don't call me Shinsuke..." Amaya felt his hand slip and she leaned up. In one fluid movement she turned and smacked him with the back of her hand. "Stop!"

But the moment she made contact with him, he was shoving her back down. He grabbed a familiar letter opener and placed it to her neck. "Remember this?" An amused tone seeped into his voice, and Amaya froze. His hand snaked around her thigh, dragging the blade across her skin and up to her center, causing her to struggle harder then before.

"I guess I'll have to break you again, Miss. Mori... You can fight all you want."  
She cried out in a mixture of frustration and defeat.  
"You sound like you've been thoroughly teased... Let's skip the foreplay..."  
He placed the dagger in the chair behind them, and soon she felt him against her.

"Shinsuke... Shinsuke, don't... Don't do this..."

Amaya was released form work early, after what happened, and she felt like the dirtiest person on the earth. Not only had she been violated, but she had slept with two men, in two days. Unable to stop herself from shaking, she felt as though a large piece of her had been taken away. A piece of purity, sanity, and pride. When she got home all she could do was sit in the shower. She ignored her phone when it rang, she couldn't eat, and she didn't want to move.

Days passed and she stayed in bed. The only time she moved was to take her dog out, or feed the animals. She didn't return to work, or go to school, and she had missed too many calls to count. Every night there was a knock at her door, but she didn't want to see anybody, so she didn't answer it. Amaya had grown weak, from the lack of food, but still didn't want to eat.

As she laid in her bed she watched the room make a transition from light, to nothing but darkness. The sound of somebody knocking on her door startled her, and she assumed whoever it was would leave as they had previous nights. A loud crash caused her to jump, and she pulled the covers over her head as loud footsteps approached her.  
"Oii!" Peeking from under the sheet, she was surprised to see Gintoki standing in her door way.  
"Gin..." Her voice was small, and he immediately flicked the light on.

"Where the hell have you been?!" He stormed over to her, suddenly angered, but froze when he saw the look on her face. She looked weak, and he stared at her wide eyed.

"W-What happened to you?"  
The girl shook her head, and he pulled out his cellphone.

"Oi, Oogushi-kun, she's here... Get Bansai." Snapping the phone closed, he sat on the bed beside her.  
"Turn the light off... It's so bright..." She could barely speak, and he peered down at the girl. The light in her room was actually a really dim one. It had controls on the wall so he walked over to the panel and turned it to the lowest setting. They sat in silence for ten minutes, until Gintoki couldn't hold the question in any longer.

"Amaya... Did you-"  
"Where is she..?" Bansai walked into the room, and saw Gintoki looking down at her.

"I don't think she moves any more..." Gintoki motioned to the girl, and she gazed up at Kawakami.

"Maya... What happened?"  
"Nothing..." Her voice was barely audible, but he shook his head.  
"Don't lie to me... Have you even eaten since you disappeared? Have you just laid here?!" It was the first time that Amaya heard him speak in such a tone, but she just looked away from him.  
"Where the fuck is Oogushi-Kun?" Muttering under his breath, Gintoki stared at his phone. Just as he had decided to call Hijikata again, the man came running into the house  
"Hijikata... She..." Bansai motioned to her, and Hijikata froze in place.

"Amaya... Amaya did he-"  
"She won't tell anybody what happened." Gintoki interrupted him, and Hijikata moved across the room and to her side. The girl looked frail, and hadn't even moved since he had come in.  
"What happened..?" Kawakami asked.  
"What did he do?" Hijikata spoke next.  
Gintoki added the real question. The one everybody wanted answered, and was too afraid to ask.

"Were you raped?" Amaya inhaled sharply, and turned over in her bed. The men all fell silent, none of them knowing what to say next.  
"I-... I-... It..." Amaya tried to make her voice work, but it refused to cooperate.

"Gintoki... I'm going to carry her to the couch... Turn the light on. Hijikata, Get something from the kitchen. Some food, a drink, anything..." The men nodded, and Kawakami pushed past Hijikata, scooping the girl into his arms. She weakly protested, but he shook his head.  
"You've lost weight..."

Hijikata, and Gintoki wondered how he knew what the girl weighed, but now wasn't the time for that. As he carried her down the hall behind them, she softly spoke.  
"Why are you helping me... I called you tainted, and pushed you away... We could never be together again..." He widened his eyes, and ignored the odd stares of his co-workers.

When she was laid in the couch, Amaya complained about being cold, so Bansai asked Gintoki to grab a blanket from her closet.  
"Where is it?" He asked, and Kawakami pointed to a small door in the hallway. It seemed odd that he knew so much about the girl, and her house, but once again Gintoki, and Hijikata suppressed the questions that arose in their minds.


	9. Chapter 9

When Hijikata returned with some food, he placed it on the small table in front of the couch.

"Oogushi-kun... What the fuck is that?! Are you trying to kill her?!" Gintoki pointed at the bowl of porridge, covered in a mountain of Mayonnaise.

"Don't listen to him... It's good for you..."  
Amaya stared at the bowl oddly.  
"She's not eating that... Damn it Hijikata... You can't cook?" Scowling Bansai took the monstrosity back to the kitchen, and returned with a new bowl of wheat cream.  
"It's just how you like it... Butter, sugar..."  
Hijikata and Gintoki eyed him, but he pretended not to notice.

Amaya sat up weakly, and grabbed the glass of water. She took a few sips before telling everybody she wasn't hungry.  
"Damn it, Amaya EAT! This is no time for your whining! Do you expect me to feed you like before?! You're lucky I'm even here right now!" Kawakami's patience had run thin, and Hijikata and Gintoki stared up at him.  
"Oi... I don't think you should yell at her like that."  
Waving a hand at Gintoki Amaya spoke, her voice was a bit more clear due to the water.  
"I'm used to it. Any time he's nervous, he gets like this."  
"How would you know?" Hijikata eyed her oddly.  
"Well..." Amaya gazed up at Kawakami, and he nodded.

"She's my ex..." The two men stared up at Kawakami stunned.  
"So you mean that... When I saw your phone..." Amaya and Kawakami nodded in unison, and Hijikata scowled.  
"Don't you think you should have told me this sooner?" He was now glaring at Amaya, and she shrugged.  
"I told you I didn't want things to start like that-"  
"Wait so you?" Kawakami pointed at Hijikata and he nodded.  
"What the fuck?! Am I the only professional one here?!" Amaya rolled her eyes at Gintoki.  
"If everything is coming out, you can't even act like that... I liked you all, I won't lie... But we didn't do anything." She motioned to Gintoki, and the other two nodded.

An awkward silence crept over them, and Amaya dropped her head.

"If it's that bad, you can all just leave... Just know that there was a good amount of time between you... Months." The men seemed to un-tense but not much.

"So who do you prefer?" Gintoki asked the question that everybody wanted to, but Amaya shook her head.  
"I'm not going to answer that... I don't want to talk about sex right now..."

"Eat Maya..." Kawakami sat down beside her, and grabbed the spoon from the bowl. He then held it to her lips. It was obvious that the room was filled with tension, but the men seemed to ignore it for her sake. Rolling her eyes, Amaya took the food into her mouth.

"Bansai... You don't need to feed me... I can-"  
"Shut up..."

Hijikata scowled at the two, and sat on the other side of her.  
"Give me the damn spoon..." He held his hand out, and Bansai shook his head.  
"You aren't even dating her any more... Give me the spoon!"

Amaya sighed in annoyance. "I'm not dating anybody... And I don't plan to any time soon..." The men all stared at her, and Gintoki nodded.  
"I'm the same." Kawakami and Hijikata glared at him, but he ignored them.  
"You know what would make you feel better?" Raising her eyes to his, Amaya waited for his answer.  
"Strawberry milk..."  
"COME ON!" Hijikata and Kawakami cried out in unison, throwing their arms up in exasperation.

"Don't look at me like that! It helped her last time she was hurt!"

Amaya humorously exhaled, and began to lift herself up. Her first attempt failed, and she plopped back on the couch. Bansai reached to steady her, but she brushed his hand away.  
"I'm fine..."  
"Amaya... Your legs... Um- They're..." Bansai pointed to the girl's thighs, and she nodded.  
"I know... He cut me... I tried to fight him... But I wasn't-" Her voice wavered, and Hijikata wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her against his chest, and ran his hand down her hair, stopping just beside her ear.

"She obviously didn't want to talk about it! Don't make her!" Bansai scowled at him, and though nobody could see it he rolled his eyes.

"Oogushi, you're going to crush her..." Gintoki pointed at the frail girl, as her arms twitched under the pressure.  
"Oh... Sorry..." Releasing the girl, he gazed off to the side.

"I'm going to take a shower..." Amaya attempted to rise to her feet again, and this time succeeded.  
"Do you need any help..?" Bansai stared up at her, and before she could say no Hijikata answered for her.

"If she needed help she would ask me!"

Sighing loudly, Amaya turned to the two.  
"With the way you're acting, I would probably ask Gintoki... Calm down. When I get out I plan on going back to bed... You guys can do what ever you want..."

They all stared after her as she left the room. When she was out of ear range Gintoki gazed at the men.  
"Pull it together... Anyway, she chose me, so you two can stop arguing." A wide grin curled his lips, and the two men glared at him in turn.

"So what are we going to do..?" Kawakami shifted his gaze from Gintoki to Hijikata.  
"I say we pay him little visit..." Gintoki sighed as he spoke, looking exhausted.  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hijikata ran a hand through his hair, turning to gaze down the hall way. He didn't want to admit that he felt like it was his fault, but an air of guilt had surrounded him.

He rose to his feet, and started towards the bathroom.

"Hijikata... You shouldn't go in there." Kawakami spoke in his normal cool voice. Turning in his direction, he shook his head.  
"I've got to talk to her..."

Gintoki shifted his weight to his other foot, and glanced at Kawakami.  
Hijikata continued to the door.  
Gazing up at Gintoki, Kawakami sighed. "She's gonna freak out."


	10. Chapter 10

"Amaya..." There was a tap at the bathroom door, and the girl peeked from behind the shower curtain. Her heart began to race when the door opened, and Hijikata walked into the small room.  
"W-What do you want, Hijikata?" He immediately stiffened his back when she spoke to him. She hadn't called him his name like she usually would.

"Amaya. I'm- Well... This was my fault, wasn't it?"  
She dropped her gaze, clutching the curtain against herself.  
"You can't blame yourself... I did it too. If I really didn't want to, I could have stopped you, but I didn't."  
He nodded slowly, before taking a step forward.  
"Were you serious..? About not wanting to date anybody?"  
Once again, the girl began shifting her gaze around the room.  
"Amaya..." Approaching her, Hijikata intended to steal her lips, but when he got to close, she back up, and almost slipped. He reached to help her, but she started yelling at him.  
"GET OUT! Get away from me! Just leave me alone!" He stared at her, stunned by the reaction he had received. Sighing loudly he started to speak again, but they were interrupted by Kawakami.  
"I told you... She can't handle this sort of thing right now..." He peered at Hijikata, who just nodded in response.  
"Amaya. Come here. I want to see what he's done to you..." Hijikata stared at him scowling.  
"Didn't you just say she couldn't handle that sort-"  
"We're different." Kawakami shifted his icy gaze over Hijikata, who was still frowning.

"Bansai... I don't want you to see me like this..." Her voice was small, and he shook his head.  
"I'm coming in..."  
"But-" Before she could complete her sentence, he was stepping into the shower, fully clothed. Hijikata clenched his arm, and he gazed at him over his shoulder.  
"Stop... This has nothing to do with sex, or even attraction. I need to make sure she's okay."

It took a moment for him to let Kawakami go, and he hesitated to allow the man in the shower, but soon his hand fell.

Unable to bear the thought of Kawakami standing beside Amaya while she was naked, and looking at her, Hijikata turned away.  
"Maya... this is pretty bad... What did he-"  
"I don't want to talk about it." She cut him off, and Hijikata wondered what they were referring to.  
"We're going to take care of this..."  
"Don't... There's no need... I- I-... Bansai, I think I liked it... I had an... I- Came..." A low sob echoed throughout the room, and Hijikata turned to face the curtain.  
"No... That's not your fault. Remember when I told you about involuntary reactions?"

The room fell silent, as Amaya nodded.

"Come here..." Before she could protest, Amaya was pulled into his arms.  
"I told you it was okay to cry before... that's true now more then ever."  
Hijikata heard a bit of a struggle behind the curtain, and just as he was about to pull the curtain back, it stopped.  
"Hijikata, hand me a towel." Bansai's voice was low, and the water stopped.  
When he held the towel into the shower, Bansai wrapped it around Amaya. Soon he scooped her up, and carried her out.

Hijikata couldn't help but feel like he had messed everything up. Maybe if he hadn't left the marks on her this would not have happened, but it was too late for that now. Kawakami carried her to the bed, and laid her down gently. Soon Gintoki and Hijikata joined them in the room.

"So... Is it bad?" Gintoki peered at Amaya, who sat up holding the towel against herself.  
"It's not as bad as expected... But it's still too much. This has gone to far..."

The three men nodded in unison.  
"Thank you... All of you, for coming to check on me... If you hadn't I would still be in bed..."  
Kawakami nodded at her, and turned back to Gintoki.  
"Last time this happened, I beat him pretty badly... But apparently that wasn't enough. We need to do something more drastic..."  
"Like what?" Gintoki turned to Kawakami, but before he could respond Hijikata spoke.  
"Kill him."

"You can't! It's not that easy!" Amaya gazed at him wide eyed, and the men turned to look at her.  
"She couldn't handle somebody being killed over her..." Kawakami motioned to Amaya, and sat down beside her.  
"I have a suggestion." Peering up at Gintoki, Kawakami raised his eyebrow.  
"What?"

"Let's show him what it's like..."  
"Rape him?!" Hijikata frowned, not sure what to think.  
"That's gay... I don't think I could get hard for a man." Sighing Kawakami shook his head.  
"No shit, idiot! I don't mean we should actually use ourselves!"

Amaya's phone began to ring, interrupting their conversation, and she gazed at it oddly.  
"Who is it?" Kawakami asked, frowning.  
"I- I don't know... If it's not one of you, it could only be..." Grabbing the phone, Amaya inhaled sharply when she saw her work number flashing on the screen. The men watched her as she answered.  
"Hello?"  
"Miss. Mori, where have you been? You've missed four days of work in a row..."Takasugi's voice was low, and she gazed up at Hijikata as she spoke.  
"I-I know. I haven't been going any where... I didn't want to..."  
"Oh? Are you saying you didn't enjoy our time the other day? You seemed to... Especially when you came so hard... I want to see you again... You should stop by tonight..."  
Amaya pressed her legs together firmly, and a worried expression spread across her face. Dropping her head she felt her face begin to burn.

"I-.. I don't want to... It hurt..."  
"It wont hurt after a few more times... You still belong to me, Miss. Mori. And I intend to take full advantage of that fact."  
"No... You can't-" Gintoki snatched the phone from her, and placed it to his ear.  
"Oi, you talk a lot of shit for somebody who only has one eye left... It would be a shame if you lost that one."  
Amaya heard Takasugi begin to yell at Gintoki, but he just hung up the phone.

Gintoki examined the concerned expression on Amaya's face, and soon turned to face Hijikata.  
"Let's go." Was all he said and the other men nodded. Amaya gazed up at them, not wanting to ask what they would do.  
"Wait... You're going to leave me alone?" Kawakami and Hijikata turned to look at her and nodded.  
"We'll be back. Don't worry. Bring Duchess and Rei in here and lock your door. Gintoki broke your front lock."  
Amaya nodded, and did as instructed.

When the men arrived at the Vortex, the last waitress for the night was leaving. Kawakami held the door open for her, and she gazed up at him.  
"Sorry sir, we're closed."  
"We need to speak to Takasugi." Gintoki answered her and she nodded.  
"Okay, He's in his office!" The woman didn't pay them any more attention as she walked to her car. Upon entering the store front, Hijikata locked the door behind them and they started towards the office.  
"Knowing him he's already seen us come in, but lets play it off." They nodded at Kawakami, and stopped outside of his door. Hijikata knocked three times, and they were soon answered by a sneering voice.  
"WHO THE HELL IS IT?!"

Grinning Gintoki opened the door.  
"It's just us... We've come to play..."

Takasugi looked stunned and turned to face the window. They had sneaked in while he was digging through the file cabinet, so he hadn't seen them at all.

As the three men entered the room, Takasugi stood up, glaring at them.  
"What do you want?"

He was met with three icy smirks.  
"To have a little chat..." Kawakami spoke in a low tone.  
"We hear you had your fun with Amaya..." Hijikata spoke next scowling.  
"And she loved every second it... She screamed loud too... Next time I get my hands on her I'll put it somewhere I know it will hurt..." He grinned wickedly, and the three men started towards him. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Takasugi jumped over his desk, grinning widely. "How are we going to do this? one bitch at a time or all three together? I'll make you scream just like I did her..."

All three of the men glanced at each other as if they were speaking telepathically.  
'Oi, did you just see that?' Gintoki  
'Yes... He jumped over the desk.' Hijikata  
'That was random...' Kawakami

"Oi!" Gintoki drew his bokken, and brought it down upon Takasugi's skull. The man fell to his knees. "I normally wouldn't kick a man when he's down but, I'll make an exception for you." Kawakami smirked as he spoke. "I don't want to be left out of the story when it's told either!" Hijikata agreed. The two couldn't resist, and ran to his sides and started kicking him. When it looked like Takasugi would pass out they stopped and Gintoki grabbed Takasugi by the hair throwing him across the desk.  
"We heard you like it rough..." He sneered the words at Takasugi, and Bansai turned to Hijikata.  
"Cut two ropes from those blinds..." Hijikata nodded, and did as instructed, removing his sword from it's sheath.  
When Hijikata was done he handed the strings to Gintoki.  
"What now?" He turned to Bansai, and he smirked.  
"Tie them to each of his wrists, and the feet of the desk... Spread eagle."  
The two of them eyed him oddly but obliged.

Kawakami reached around Takasugi and started to remove his pants. When Takasugi realized what was happening he struggled against them, but found the ropes too strong.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" He shouted the words and Kawakami gazed at Gintoki and Hijikata.  
"We heard you like it across your desk... I'm gonna show you how Amaya felt..." Now Takasugi struggled harder then before, frantically clawing at the desk.  
"I thought you said you couldn't get hard for a man..?" Gintoki and Hijikata spoke at the same time and Kawakami turned to face them, smirking evilly.  
"I can't."

Next Kawakami left the room and returned with a broom stick.  
"OI! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT?!" The men cried out in unison.  
"I'm going to give him exactly what he gave Maya..."  
Takasugi turned to look at him. "WHAT?!" Tears had formed in his eyes.  
"How much of that are you going to put in him?!" Hijikata stared at Kawakami wide eyed.  
"Well... Let me see." Kawakami gazed at Takasugi for a moment before responding.  
"Well, he doesn't have much... So we have to make the punishment fit the crime..."

He held the broom at Takasugi's exit, and pulled his blade from his back.  
"Are you ready to be cut, bitch?"

Gintoki and Hijikata grimaced at cruelty they were about to see and excused themselves from the room. Takasugi called out to them saying not to leave them, but they ignored him, knowing that the next scene would be too graphic to even describe.


	11. Chapter 11

Leaving the restaurant the three men were gravely silent. When they got into Hijikata's car Gintoki spoke.  
"That was... Brutal..."  
Hijikata nodded, but Kawakami pretended not to hear them. They gazed back at the man, who was staring out of the window.  
Shifting his gaze Kawakami stared at Gintoki.  
"I never claimed to be a nice guy..."

When they arrived at Amaya's house she had stayed in her room as instructed. Gintoki moved to the kitchen, and started to cook everybody dinner. Hijikata grabbed a bottle of vodka from the fridge and sat on the couch. Nobody spoke of what happened. Kawakami told Amaya they were back, and she followed him to the living room, too afraid to ask what they had done. When Kawakami sat down, he pulled her into his lap. Hijikata scowled at him, wanting to pull her away, but Kawakami's display of cruelty was still fresh in his mind.  
"Bansai... What are you doing?" Amaya looked down at him, not sure how to react.  
"Holding you..." He pulled his glasses off, and set them on the table in front of them.  
Gazing directly at Hijikata, he spoke. "And I won't let anybody else..."

Sighing loudly Hijikata shifted his gaze. Amaya turned to look at him and realized exactly what the two men were doing.  
"Are you two serious?" They looked at her, not responding. Sliding out of Kawakami's lap, she grabbed the remote control, and turned the T.V on.  
"So... I've got to ask... Should I return to work or not?"

The two men looked at each other and Gintoki peeked around the corner of the kitchen.  
"No." They said in unison but Gintoki called to the group.  
"Oi... I think it's fine for her to go back. I doubt anything will happen again. Not after- well that."  
Raising an eyebrow Amaya peered at them all. "That? What did you do?" Gintoki's head disappeared around the corner, and Hijikata shifted his gaze. Kawakami looked away as well.  
"Bansai..? What happened?"  
"We kicked his ass..." Leaving it at that he grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels.

Soon, Gintoki brought some food to the table, and Amaya stared down at it.  
"This is mostly sweet beans..." She gazed at the large bowl of beans, comparing it to the small amount of rice, and meat.  
"It's the way every meal should be." He flashed her a winning smile, but she shook her head.  
"I'll make more... Actual food that is." As she started towards the kitchen, Bansai grabbed her wrist.  
"Are you sure? You still don't look to good..."  
"I'm fine." A small smile graced her lips, and she turned to the kitchen again.

Ten minutes later she returned with more rice and meat, placing it beside the food Gintoki had prepared. Turning to look at the man she motioned to her room.  
"There are still some berries on the plant." He stared at her unable to hide the excitement that her statement had caused.  
"Really?"  
She nodded, and soon he was rushing down the hallway, and bringing the plant to sit on the floor beside him.

Amaya sat on the couch between Hijikata and Kawakami, and Gintoki sat beside Hijikata. They all ate in silence, and when Amaya finished her small portion of food, she gazed at the men around her.

_'They all came and took care of me... Even going so far as to get revenge...'_

Letting out a sigh she peered at the T.V. An arm wrapped around her, and she turned to face Kawakami, who was smirking at her.  
"What?" Peering down at her he chuckled at the inquisitive girl, and pulled her into his lap. Hijikata scowled at him, but Kawakami didn't stop there.  
"Do you feel anything?" The question cause everybody to turn and face Bansai, and Amaya gazed down at his pants.  
"Wait... What?" He snickered at her and grabbed her hips moving her around.  
"OI! WHAT ARE YOU DONG?!" Hijikata jumped to his feet, shaking his fist.  
"Umm... Bansai... Are you? What is..." Amaya didn't know what to think or how to react to the odd bulge she felt, but Kawakami let out a hearty chuckle. He began to reach into his pocket.

As Amaya moved back into her spot, she stared at him curiously, as he pulled a large wrap of money out.  
Gintoki and Hijikata's faces fell blank as they stared at the money.  
"Bansai..? Where did you-"  
"I found it... In a drawer." He left it at that, and handed the money to the girl. She stared down at it, stunned.  
"I can't take this!"  
"Yes you can... I don't think you'll need a job for a while..." Gazing past her he spoke to Gintoki and Hijikata.  
"There's some left for us too."  
"Really?" Their voices combined and Kawakami nodded.

Later that night, the men had left, and Amaya laid in her bed. She didn't know how to feel. Relief combined with grief, and an ambiguous emotion she could not identify. When she finally drifted to sleep, she had nothing but nightmares.

"Don't try to deny it... You're mine..."  
She stared back at him, and he chuckled. Unable to do anything but squirm while he pushed inside of her, she heard him growl.  
"Your... Wet..."  
He pinned her tightly against the desk, gripping her thigh with his free hand. Forcing her to move with his rhythm, he grunted, before removing his hand from her back, grabbing her hips. Amaya tried to lean up, lifting herself with her arms, but was quickly shoved back down.  
"Moan..." She bit her lip, trying to defy his command, but he slammed into her harder.  
_"Moan!" _Feeling his hand snake around her thigh, she couldn't contain the loud groans that parted her lips. He rubbed against her, causing her to attempt to squirm away, but he held her firmly in place.

"Sh-... Shinsuke..." Clenching her fists, she gazed at him over her shoulder. Her eyes met with his intense gaze, and she quickly looked away.  
"That's right... I knew you would like it... Say my name..."  
Ignoring him, Amaya gazed at the file cabinet in the corner. Takasugi grabbed her hair, and roughly pulled her against himself. Standing straight up Amaya placed her hands on the desk, tightly closing her eyes. His hand moved from her hair,a nd tightly clasped around her neck.  
"Say it..." He snarled the words and Amaya felt his breath on her neck. His hand tightened against her clit, and she cried out, once again squirming.  
"Keep doing that..." His lips connected with her neck, and Amaya moaned louder then she ever had before. He continued to make her squirm, until he had his fill and pulled out of her.

Next he turned her around, and pushed her back onto the desk. Staring at him fearfully, Amaya scanned the room for something, anything to save herself. She saw the letter opener, and wondered how she could get to it. Before he could reposition himself again, she pushed against him, shoving him back. Next she lunged to the letter opener, but he moved quickly.  
Grabbing her wrist, he twisted her around, and pain shot through her. She felt him against her, and he pressed her stomach to the desk.  
"Did you really think you could get away? You were going to try to cut me again, weren't you?"  
She felt him move and soon he had the dagger in his hand.  
"Miss. Mori... Do you know what it's like to be cut?"

Refusing to answer, she shifted her gaze and he whisked her around, forcing her to face him.  
"I'll show you..." The blade slipped across her skin easily, and before she knew it, she was bleeding. Screaming she tried to back across the desk, but he pulled her back to himself.  
"If you just stop fighting, you would enjoy yourself." His voice was a low whisper, and he leaned over her, stealing her lips. Without warning he pulled her onto himself, and she cried out. The sound was muffled by his mouth, and soon his lip wandered to her neck. She pushed him away the whole time, but it didn't seem to work, and he continued to roughly pump into her. "Accept it..." He breathed the words, and she felt his breath on her neck.

She felt her mind shutting down, and her will to fight died. Before she knew it, she stopped moving, and the space between them dissolved as he had his way. He chuckled softly, tightening his grip around her legs. "Smart girl...

Low moans parted her lips, and Takasugi pushed her back down onto the desk. Pulling her hips over the edge, he leaned over her, invading her mouth. Soon, she grasped his shirt, pulling him closer. He was clearly excited by her gesture, and expressed it in his actions. She heard the dagger slide across the desk, and turned to look at it. Upon seeing the metal, she started pushing him away, but he grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head. Scared she stared up at him wide eyed, trying to ignore the sensation that coursed through her body. He lifted the dagger, sliding it down her chest.  
"Does this excite you? Being taken..." She shifted her gaze, and he dropped the dagger.  
"You're about to cum... "  
"No... No I'm not..." Shaking her head, Amaya gazed away from him. His motions became rougher yet, and soon her body began to tense.  
"Cum..." His lips were beside her ear, and she felt his free hand wander from her chest, to her clit.  
"Sh- Shin-suke... Please... Oh... Oh! Shinsuke!" Her muscles tightened, as she felt a wave of bliss wash over her. He continued to move against her, and Amaya's back arched, as she cried out.

Awoken by her alarm clock, Amaya gazed around the room, her heart pounding.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day at school, Amaya walked into her history class, not acknowledging Gintoki, or Hijikata at all. The whole day, she was lost in thought, trying to understand how she truly felt. She had pulled Takasugi closer, and even called his name. It was confusing, she hadn't wanted it to happen, but deep down, she felt as though she liked it. In her cooking class she burned the food, twice before getting the recipe right. Everybody noticed her disorientation, but didn't mention it, opting to ignore her mistakes.

When gym came along, Kawakami told her to sit out, instead of jogging and exercising with the rest of the students. Occasionally her teachers would come and chat with her, asking how she was but Amaya didn't feel like talking any more. When the students rushed back into the locker room, Kawakami walked to her side.  
"Maya, I've been meaning to give this back to you." She gazed up at him silently, and he grabbed her hand, slipping the ring she had returned to him on her finger.  
"Bansai... I don't think-"  
"_What are you doing_?" Hijikata stood behind him, obviously angered.  
"Nothing." Kawakami turned to face him, but Hijikata had already seen what he did.  
"We need to talk..." Kawakami nodded to Hijikata and they walked away from Amaya.

"Look... I know you have history with her, but we had something good... Stop talking to her..."  
Kawakami calmly gazed at Hijikata, shaking his head. "No. Our relationship was good as well..."  
Hijikata crossed his arms as he spoke . "We should meet up after work..." The men nodded in agreement.

Standing at her locker Amaya twisted the lock around until she found the right combination. The moment she opened the small door, she gasped. A bouquet of roses were perched against the back wall. 'Who..?'  
Grabbing the flowers, she held them to her nose, but before she could inhale something fell to the floor. Figuring it was the card, she glanced down horrified at what she saw.

The floor was scattered with photographs, and they all had the same thing on them. Each picture was of a penis, and they all appeared to be the same one.

Amaya shifted her gaze between the roses, and the penises, wondering who the hell would send her such a thing. Just as she bent down to pick them up, a wall of students from gym rushed towards her. She scrambled to grab them all and received many odd stares, as the students rushed past her. As she reached for one, it got stuck to the boy named Sougo's shoe. The last was carried away by the breeze, getting lost among the students. Hiding the stack of pictures, Amaya rose to her feet, completely confused.

Back at home Amaya stared at the pictures, wondering who's penis it was. The only way she could think to find out was to show people, but she couldn't just walk up to somebody and say "Hey, umm, Is this yours?".

Sighing, she threw the pictures down. Ever since she had that dream she couldn't stop thinking about Takasugi. At the time, it had hurt, and she was terrified, but now when she thought about it, she felt herself twinge with excitement. Unsure of how to feel about her reaction, she just shook her head, and tried to push the thought away. He took her, without her permission, and she hated him for it... So why did it turn her on?

* * *

"So what are you saying?" Kawakami glanced at Hijikata. They were at Kawakami's house, drinking.  
"I'm saying I really like her. I'm not going to share."  
"It's her decision... Do you think you have a choice?" Their eyes met, and they scowled at each other.  
"She would pick me anyway." Reaching for his cigarettes Hijikata glanced at the shot glass in front of him.

* * *

Amaya headed to the bar that night. She wondered if Takasugi would be there, and as she sat down she was greeted by Zura.

_("Hey, you, author! It's Katsura!"  
"Oh, of course, of course!")_

"Oi, Mori-san. What can I get for you?"  
Sitting at one of the seats of the bar, Amaya shrugged.  
"Surprise me! I don't feel picky tonight."  
He nodded, and reached for a bottle of rum.

* * *

"SO- If you look at it like that, we're practically brothers now." Hijikata had just finished his fourth shot, Kawakami nodded in agreement.  
"I guess. Hey, have you seen that mole right by her hip bone?"  
"It's more like a birthmark." Hijikata corrected.  
"Whatever. Whenever I tried to last longer, I would just stare at it, and imagine if she was covered in those things." Kawakami's statement was unexpected and Hijikata burst into laughter.  
"Its not ugly or anything! I always thought it was kind of sexy." Still snickering, Hijikata reached for the bottle of vodka.  
"Yeah, but if she was covered in them it wouldn't be..."

* * *

Amaya's mole started to itch. 'Somebody must be talking about me...'  
Discreetly scratching it, Amaya reached into her purse sneaking one of the pictures out. This was the perfect time to see if anybody knew about it. There were about twenty pictures, so she could waste a few. When Katsura turned away, she slid it down the bar, and called out to him.  
"Hey, Zura! What is that?!"  
"It's not Zura, it's A PENIS!" He stared at the picture wide eyed. It obviously wasn't his.

* * *

"Agreed?" Kawakami smirked at Hijikata, who nodded in response.  
"So if she chooses to come to either of us, even if it isn't on serious terms, we can't get upset?" Kawakami nodded, and they held their glasses up.  
"Kanpai!" They spoke in unison, and after their cheers, they downed their eighth shot.  
"Where's Gintoki? He was supposed to show up half an hour ago." Hijikata looked at the time on his phone, and Kawakami shrugged.

* * *

'Is that him?' Amaya stared at the man seated in a dark corner. She was not referring to Takasugi, and her heart lept at the thought of being right. 'It's got to be...' Standing up, she finished her drink, and started towards the man. Leaving Katsura with the penis picture.  
"Kamui?"  
"Hi, Miss!" The man stood up, and waved to her. She was right, and now she placed her hands flat against each other,bringing them to her chest.  
"It's been so long! How have you been?" They both wore wide grins as she spoke, and he nodded.  
"Good! What about yourself?"  
"Oh, I've been... Um, fine." For some reason she seemed caught off guard by the question, but she quickly recovered.  
"Have you been busy with work?"  
He nodded, and soon they sat down to chat.

* * *

"No, no! You two already drank half of the bottle! This half is mine!" Gintoki held the vodka under his arm and Kawakami and Hijikata groaned.  
"No, that means we haven't had all of our half yet, I'm a math teacher, I would know..."  
"Yeah!" Hijikata agreed with Kawakami, and Gintoki scowled.  
"You're drunk, you don't know anything! I could drink more then both of you combined!"  
The other two men voiced their disagreement, and soon a drinking competition started.

* * *

"So... Tell me, are you angry about last time we hung out?" Peering up at Kamui, Amaya was surprised when he shook his head no.  
"Humans are funny. You all act weird some times, so I can't blame you. It was probably just mating season right?"  
Raising an eyebrow at him Amaya cocked her head to the side.  
"What? Humans don't have a mating season!" She laughed at him, and soon he joined in.  
"So what are you doing here?" He seemed to hesitate, but soon offered her an answer.  
"Well..." He started, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't stop thinking about what you did last time..."  
Amaya stared at him wide eyed. "W-W- Are- Serious?" Her tongue became tied and he started laughing at her. "Just kidding!" He added.  
"Human, Your face is red!"  
Amaya raised her hands to her cheeks.  
"Don't tease me like that!" He still hadn't stopped laughing.

* * *

"Hijikata... Giv up..." Gintoki stared down at his glass, impossibly wasted.  
"No... I'm never gonna lose to yoo..." Hijikata had already been drinking, and waited for Gintoki to catch up before he started again.  
"Some time... It's good to accept defeat..." Kawakami eyed the two, and grabbed his cup.  
"Come on... Bottoms up!" The men nodded and raised their glasses. After tapping them together, they all downed their shots.  
"How... How are you feelin' ?" Kawakami watched them men wobbling in their seats.  
"I ffeel GREAT!" Gintoki pounded his fists on the table.  
"ME TOO!" Hijikata mimicked his motion.  
"All right... one- one more..." Hiccuping Bansai reached for the bottle, but as he did the two men beside him collapsed backwards.  
"Hey... Hey! I'm gonna drink it all! ... Umm... Wow... You two really are matched..."

* * *

"There's a kappa in a nearby pond... It's supposed to be on a dark street, that looks like it's midnight in the middle of the day."  
"Oh, I know what street you're talking about!" Kamui looked up at Amaya, raising an eyebrow.  
"Really?"  
She nodded, and placed a finger to her lips. "I could show you in the morning. I went there once by accident."  
"The morning? Why not now?" Kamui's smile faltered as he spoke.  
"Because I would remember better, and know if I'm in the right place if it was day time. We can meet up, which hotel are you at?"  
He shifted his gaze. "I haven't picked one yet..."

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Amaya smiled. "You can stay with me!"


	13. Chapter 13

"You can sleep on the couch tonight." Amaya motioned to the long sofa that sat against her wall. Kamui nodded, and walked over to it, laying his umbrella on the table.  
"Are you hungry?" Raising an eyebrow, Amaya was met with a large grin.  
"Sure!"

Smiling, Amaya made her way to the kitchen. She knew she would have to make a huge meal. Kamui plopped down on the couch, gazing around the room. Soon he turned the T.V on, and started flipping through the channels. Almost an hour later, Amaya carried a salad bowl full of rice to the table. Next she brought a tray of fish, and steamed vegetables. Sitting down beside him, she handed him a plate and some chop sticks. Kamui didn't seem to focus on anything, but the food. He stared at it blankly for a second, and soon started consuming it faster then Amaya thought possible. She scooped some food onto her plate, and watched him wide eyed.

As he devoured the food, Amaya couldn't help but wonder.  
'Damn, is he even chewing?'  
The small amount of alcohol she consumed caused random thoughts to jump into her mind.  
'I wonder if he eats everything like that?' Chuckling to herself, she finished the food on her plate. Kamui also finished the bowl of rice, and moved on to the fish.  
"You must really love to eat!" She smiled as she spoke, and he returned her gesture, his cheeks puffing out with food.  
"Mm'hmm!"

After a few moments he finished, and Amaya collected the dishes. He hadn't even used his plate, just ate everything out of the bowl.  
"I'm headed to bed. if you need, you can take a shower. It's right down the hall, to the left."  
Standing up, she walked to the hall closet, and grabbed some extra sheets for him.  
"I don't know if you get cold or not, but you can get another blanket if you want."  
He nodded, staring up at her. "Alright, you're really nice, Miss." Gazing at him over her shoulder Amaya smiled.  
"You don't need to call me Miss, you can call me Mori, or Amaya."  
His grin never faded, and Amaya left the room.

_'What's wrong with me? I already know I don't want to be with anybody. Why am I even excited about him being here?' _Sighing she opened her window, and fell back onto her bed.  
A cool breeze rushed across her skin, causing goosebumps to raise on her arms. The moment Amaya's closed her eyes, she heard something odd.  
Sitting back up, she listened closely to the strange grunts. It sounded like it was coming from the window. Slowly raising to her knees, she inched to the window.  
"Is somebody there?" Her voice was small, and the noises stopped.  
"W-Who is it?" Now there was a scurrying sound, which caused Amaya to rush to the window.  
There was nobody there, but a ways ahead in the bushes, there was a glimmer. Light reflected off of what could only be a pair of glasses. The bushes moved, and soon the thing, or person, disappeared.

Raising to her feet, Amaya quickly walked to the living room, to tell Kamui, but he was asleep. She stared at him for a moment, studying the calm expression of his face, before turning all the lights off, and returning to bed.

"So why do you want to meet a Kappa anyway?" Amaya and Kamui sat in her car. They were headed in the direction of the dark street, early in the morning. The sun was barely even peeking out from behind the horizon, so he didn't have his umbrella opened. A cool, moist breeze poured in from the windows, blowing Amaya's curls around, as well as some strands of Kamui's carrot colored hair.  
"One of them is a really good fighter. He's know for his wrestling. I want to challenge him. The one that lives in the pond we're going to should know where to find him." Cheerfulness radiated off of Kamui, forcing Amaya to grin back at him.  
"Okay, This should be the street..." Turning onto the road, she was pleased to find that she was right. Ten minutes of driving brought them to the dark street from before. Amaya once heard that Kappa's love cucumber, so she brought a bag with her, being careful to hide them from Kamui.

"That sign just said that there's park here... Pull over." He pointed to a side walk, and Amaya hesitantly obliged. When they had gotten out of the car, Amaya grabbed the canvas bag with the fruit, and got as close to Kamui as possible.  
"Human, you're going to trip me, what's wrong?"  
She clutched the back of his shirt, trying not to lose him.  
"Nothing... I don't like the dark... I can't see anything!"  
Kamui chuckled at her, not seeming to mind. After walking in the darkness, for half an hour, Kamui stopped.  
"This thing should still work..." She didn't ask what he meant, but soon, she felt him kick something. it snapped in half, and he quickly moved out of the way.  
"Opps..." He led her in the opposite direction, and started to kick another thing, but stopped.  
"Maybe if I... Human, stay here..." Amaya felt him pull away from her, and a sense of pure panic replaced him. She waited in the darkness, hearing odd sounds in all directions. animals, bugs, and his foot steps. He didn't sound far away, but she couldn't help but feel nervous.

Soon a dim light flickered on, and started to grow brighter.  
"Better?" Kamui, was standing a few feet away, beside a tall street light. Amaya nodded and he motioned to small pond. "It should be here."  
"I brought some cucumbers... I hear Kappas like them." Amaya reached into the bag, but before she could grab one Kamui was by her side.  
"Food?" He asked, pulling one out. He stared at it oddly, before biting into it.  
"It's crunchy... I kinda like it! It tastes refreshing!"  
Unable to contain the slight smirk that curled her lips, Amaya grabbed one of the cucumbers, and threw it into the pond.

Kamui watched her, and took another out of the bag, consuming that one as well.  
"What's that supposed to do?" He asked, and she turned to face him.  
"Legends say that if you throw them cucumbers they'll come out, and it grants you safety... At least in this town, other say it had the opposite effect." Chomping down on the cucumber Kamui nodded gleefully.

Moments later a head poked out of the water.  
"Is that is?" Staring wide eyed Amaya turned to Kamui who nodded.  
"Hey! Come here, we have cucumbers for you!" Calling out to it, he waved his hand, and it started drawing closer.  
"Oh! Kamui... I think I... I hit that thing with my car!" Her voice was a whisper, and Kamui peered at her inquisitively. "What?"  
"I ran that thing over..." Unsure of what to do, or if it had seen her, Amaya's heart began to beat rapidly.


	14. Chapter 14

The water began to bubble, and a silhouette emerged from the fog. Deep moans filled the air as a figure resembling a zombie from the depths of hell quickly drew nearer. Amaya and Kamui strained their eyes to understand what was happening. It limped out of the water looking like a crazy, deformed beast. Kamui's grin faded into an intense stare. Amaya stood behind Kamui staring at the dark silhouette approaching them. She clutched his shirt squinting her eyes to see the thing. The light behind them was barely even bright enough to see each other. "Stand back Amaya!" The moment the beast stopped in front of them Kamui pulled his arm back and slammed it into the monster's face.

The thing seized up, muscles locking into an intense spasm, as it fell to the ground and Kamui proceeded to stomp on it. Below him a gurgling sound escaped the things beak, which was seething white foam. "Wait!"

Kamui froze mid-motion peering at the thing. His intense scowl shifted into a curious stare, but he soon suppressed the expression. An awkward variation of a smile curled his lips, and he closed his eyes, so to avoid looking at the thing.  
"Are you the Kappa of the woods?"  
_"Yes..." _It croaked

"There you are! We were looking all over for you!" Kamui's grin widened, and he spoke as if nothing had happened.  
The Kappa unsteadily rose to it's feet, holding it's head. _"What do you want?"  
_Amaya still stood behind Kamui, clutching his shirt, an uncomfortable expression on her face.  
"We're looking for the captain of this area. I hear that he's a good fighter."  
The thing nodded, pulling a rectangular box from it's waist. Soon a flame sparked in the middle of the box creating a lantern. The kappa held it to it's face, and Amaya suppressed a small gasp.  
"What happened to your face?" Kamui sounded genuinely interested, but the kappa scowled.  
"Don't ask it that!" Amaya lightly hit his back.

Shifting it's gaze to Amaya, the Kappa spoke in it's raspy voice._  
"I know your face from somewhere..." _The kappa motioned to her, and she hid behind Kamui even more. Grabbing a cucumber from her bag, she extended it towards the kappa, who took it greedily. Kamui turned to her, and grabbed one as well. The two men stood there talking and munching in the fruit at the same time.

_"He should be in his river across town. It's by a park, and it has a stream that passes by a tall wall..."_

"Doesn't that sound like the place you tried to kill yourself?" Kamui gazed at Amaya over his shoulder.  
"I didn't try to kill myself! It does sound like that park though..."

_"Is that all?"_

Kamui nodded, and the thing shoved the rest of the cucumber in it's beak.

"Let's go." Kamui turned to face Amaya and she nodded. Handing the kappa another cucumber before she started away, she studied it once more. A sense of guilt crept over her, and she wanted to apologize. A hand clasped around her wrist, and she turned to face Kamui.  
"Come on." His smile cheered her up again, and she said goodbye.

Amaya dropped Kamui off at the park, telling him that she needed to get to school. He nodded, still grinning cheerfully.  
"Thanks, Human!" Waving a hand at her, he stole another cucumber.  
"How many of these things did you bring?" She shrugged, and handed him the bag.  
"You can have them."


	15. Chapter 15

At school Amaya sneaked into the classroom early. She needed to know who sent her those pictures. Creeping over to the desk Amaya placed the picture in front of Gintoki's seat. She then rushed away, and to her locker.  
'Twenty minutes before class starts...' Gazing at her phone, she figured she could get a quick cigarette break before returning to the classroom.

Walking to the back of the building, Amaya was not surprised to see Hijikata when she rounded the corner. He stood leaning against the wall, smoking. His arms were crossed, and he had a stern expression on his face.  
"Hey, T- Sensei..."  
Turning to look at the girl, his frown dissolved into a slightly startled look, which he soon hid.  
"Miss. Mori." he nodded his head, as a sort of greeting. It was an awkward motion, but Amaya ignored it.  
"Sooo... Um, how's it goin'?" Lighting her own cigarette, she peered at Hijikata out of the corner of her eyes. He sighed loudly, shifting his gaze away.  
"Is that all you can say?" His voice was low, and Amaya turned to face him.  
"Huh?"  
"Is that really _all_ you can say to me? You ignored me for _days _now! You haven't even _looked _at me!"

Dropping her head, Amaya stared at the cigarette in her hand.  
"I'm sorry, I just... I don't know..."  
"Do you not even want to be near me any more? You're just going to push me away now?" He spoke passionately, and she didn't know how to respond.  
"Have you forgotten what I said to you?" Peering up at him, she shook her head.  
Hijikata took a step forward, and wrapped his arms around the girl.  
"Amaya... I don't want you to avoid me. I know you went through a lot, but... Just talk to me. About anything..." His lips brushed against her forehead, and her face flushed at the contact.  
"T- Toshiro... right now, I just can't... I need time. Don't misunderstand me, I still like you. I just need to think right now."

Nodding, he pulled away from her. She watched as he ran a hand through his hair, sighing.  
"If you want, you can call me..." With that he flicked his cigarette away, and left.

When Amaya arrived to the classroom again, he walked to her desk, happy to see that neither Gintoki, or Hijikata had arrived yet. She needed to know who was responsible for the roses. A few other students walked in, and one stopped, staring at the desk oddly, before continuing to his seat. Soon, Gintoki strolled to his desk, followed by Hijikata.  
"Good morning, little retards." Gintoki grumbled the words, standing by his seat.  
"Should you be calling them that?" Hijikata raised an eyebrow at him, and Gintoki shrugged.  
"If they don't like it they can-" His jaw dropped, and eyes widened. Hijikata frowned, but when Gintoki pointed at the picture, he mimicked the expression.

"What is it?" A girl behind Amaya called to them.  
"Yeah, what is it?" Sougo repeated, grinning, and standing up.  
The men shook their heads, still looking appalled.  
"It- It's-" Gintoki stammered.  
"It's nothing!" Hijikata interrupted, snatching the picture off of the desk.  
"Is it a penis?" Sougo asked, snickering.  
"NO! SOUGO! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? GET US FIRED?!" Gintoki, and Hijikata yelling in unison, and the boy just sat back down saying. "_I_ didn't do it."

_'It must not be theirs...' _Amaya crossed the men off of her imaginary list.

Standing out side of Kawakami's class, Amaya stared at the man as he sat at his desk. There was no way she could sneak the picture there, and she knew it wasn't his. Decided to swallow her pride, she walked up to him.  
"Hey, B- Sensei... Um, I have something I need to ask you.."  
He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shifted her gaze.  
"The other day, I got a bouquet of roses..."  
"From Hijikata?" He seemed uninterested, but she shook her head.  
"No... I- Well, I don't know who they're from... They had some, umm, _pictures_... In them..."  
"Pictures?" Now she had his full attention and she nodded.  
"Of... A penis..."  
He started coughing, and held his fist to his mouth. Amaya stood by uncomfortably, until he recovered.  
"I... Well..." Reaching into her purse, she awkwardly pulled them out.  
"Who's penis is this?" She asked in a hushed tone.  
Kawakami frowned, and due to his glasses she couldn't tell if it was at the pictures or her.  
"I- I wouldn't know... It's not like men just get together and show each other these kinds of things..."  
"Oh..."

There was an uncomfortable pause of silence, until Amaya spoke.  
"Well, I put them on Gintoki and Hijikata's desk to see if they recognized it... Don't tell anybody..." His jaw dropped, and she walked to her seat.

Late that evening, Amaya was sitting on her couch, reading a magazine. A knock on her door caused her to jump, as she hadn't heard a car, but she rose to her feet anyway.  
"Who is it?"  
"It's me, Human."  
Delighted to hear Kamui's voice, she rushed to the door, hurrying to unlock it.  
"Hey! Come in!" She couldn't control her excitement, but her enthusiasm didn't seem to surprise him. He nodded, and stepped by her, looking as cheerful as ever.  
"So how did it go?" Locking the door, Amaya turned to face Kamui, who plopped down on her couch.

"He wasn't as strong as the rumors said..." He looked disappointed, and crossed his arms as he spoke.  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you're just too strong?" She grinned at him but he scowled.  
"No such thing."

It was the first time she had seen him make such a face, but instead of feeling nervous it only made he seem a bit more human to her.  
"Dinner?" He asked immediately perking up. Nodding, Amaya moved to the kitchen.

When they had finished eating Amaya brought a bottle of vodka over to the table.  
"Do you want a drink? To celebrate your victory, that is."  
"Sure!" Kamui seemed to grin wider now that he had eaten a full meal.  
"Human, you cook well."  
"R-Really? Thank you..." His compliment was unexpected, but it did make more sense for him to say that after he finished, because while he ate he didn't even seem to breath. Grabbing two glasses, she placed them on the table and began to pour a few shots into the cups.  
"So what are you going to do tonight?" Trying to make small chat, Amaya turned to gaze at him. He had small crimson speckles near his hair line, and on his neck.  
"Stay here."  
His answer was unexpected, and she nodded slowly in response.  
"Umm... There's blood on your neck... And face again."  
He turned to look at her, an amused smile curling his lips.  
"Oh yeah? Get it." He stretched his neck so she could see.  
"O- Okay, let me get a cloth..." Immediately standing, she turned and walked to the closet. After getting a small wash cloth, and wetting it, she returned to his side.  
"Here..." He leaned his head away again, and she began to wipe the dried Scarlett from his skin.

"You're hair line too..." Turning to face her, he watched her curiously as she slowly slid the warm fabric across his forehead.  
"Hey, you're cut..." She hadn't noticed it before, but he had a small gash near his ear opposite from her.  
"I am?" He didn't seem to notice at all, and she dabbed against the wound gently.  
"Hmm, when did that happen?" He raised his eyebrow, and stared at the ceiling.  
"It must have been when he grabbed that metal whip thing..."

"Metal whip?!" Amaya stared at him wide eyed. "You're lucky that this is all you got!"  
Grinning he shrugged. "I guess."

"I'm going to leave tomorrow."  
Turning to face him, she was unable to conceal her disappointment. "Why? You just got here..."  
"Yeah, I only needed to find the Kappa though. I have other things to do." He still smiled, but a loud sigh parted her lips.

After a few drinks, they sat in silence watching T.V. Now drunk, Amaya couldn't stop thinking about Takasugi. It wasn't exactly a fond thought, but it still excited her.  
"Human, I need more..." Kamui extended his cup towards Amaya and she nodded. Pouring him another cupful, and some more for herself she sighed.  
"Let me get your sheets. I might go to bed soon." He peered up at her, as she rose to her feet.  
Moments later she returned with fresh bedding.  
"I'm going to jump in the shower. If you need anything, you can just ask." For a second, she thought his smile slipped away, but if it did he hid it well.

"Hey, Human..."  
There was a slight tap against the door when Amaya turned the shower off. Wrapping the towel around herself she opened it. "What's up?"  
Kamui froze in place, his mouth hanging open slightly.  
"What is it?" She repeated.  
His mouth had run dry, and he attempted to swallow, shifting his gaze. A deep blush crept across his cheeks, and he raised his hand behind his head.  
"Umm... I wanted to know if you had..." His eyes fell over her again, and he quickly averted them "Something else to drink..."

Nodding, Amaya led him to the kitchen. She opened the fridge telling him to pick whatever he wanted. He seemed to hesitate, before grabbing a can of tea.  
"Do you want to take a shower too?" Now she turned to face him, and he slightly nodded.  
"Come with me, I should have something to fit you." Realizing his nervousness, Amaya decided to take full advantage of it. Her mind was to clouded to disagree with her hormones, and she led him to her room to pick out some clothes.


	16. Chapter 16

"What about this?" Holding up a pair of boxers Amaya turned to Kamui who stood by the door.

"Why do you have clothes for men here?" Kamui raised an eyebrow at her, and she chuckled.

"They're mine. It's more comfortable then what I normally wear."

Kamui nodded, and walked over to her grabbing the boxers. He started away from her, and she frowned at him. "Hey, don't you want a shirt?"

He shrugged, not stopping at all. Sighing, she turned her attention to her homework.

After about twenty minutes she decided to take a break. She walked down the hallway, and to the fridge to get a water. Next she moved to the table almost stumbling on the way.

'How much did we drink?'

Grabbing the glasses she carried them to the sink, and returned for the bottle of liquor. Upon picking it up, she realized that it was almost empty.

'This was half-full...'

Walking back to the kitchen she set it down on the counter. As she started back to her room, the door to the bathroom opened, and Kamui stepped into the hallway. Amaya gasped lightly as she caught sight of him in nothing but her boxers. His towel was draped across his shoulders, and as she neared him, she ducked her head and made a bee-line to her room.

"Hey, HEY, Human!" He started after her, and she pretended not to hear him.

"Oi, Why are you running from me?" Kamui walked into her room, and she looked away.

"I'm not, I just, umm... I had a cramp... In my leg..." She was obviously lying, and Kamui walked over to her.

"Where do I put this?" He held the towel out to her, and she turned to face him.

"I- I'll take it." Grabbing it, Amaya quickly walked across the room, and threw it into a hamper.

"What's wrong?" Kamui seemed to follow her, and she didn't understand why he didn't get the message. "Nothing..." Peeking up at him, she felt her cheeks burn.

"Is it mating season again?" He raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.

"I told you, Humans don't have a mating season! We just... well..." Noticing the amused grin on his face, Amaya lightly hit his shoulder.

"You're doing this on purpose!" Now he laughed at her, and she walked past him, being careful to avoid contact, and he followed behind her.

"Two can play that game you know..." Gazing at him over her shoulder she returned his smirk.

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow at the girl. The alcohol had lowered her inhibitions without her realizing, and she dropped her robe, revealing her panties, and camisole.

Kamui shifted his gaze, and the weight on his feet.

"What? So it's okay for you to do it, and not me?" Now he didn't respond.

After a moment of silence he spoke

"Put it back on..." his face began to burn, and Amaya shook her head.

"It's your fault it came off."

Once again he shifted his gaze.

"What? Have you never seen a woman before?" Taking a step closer, she clasped her hands behind her back. "Did you know your face is red?"

Kamui immediately turned around. "No it's not..."

"I saw you, yes it is." Placing a hand on his back, Amaya peeked around his arm, up at his face.

"Hey, tell me something... You said that sex makes men weaker, but have you ever even considered the fact that it depends on the man?"

His eyes widened and he refused to look at her.

"Not every man becomes weak. It's possible for it to make them stronger..."

Unmoving, Kamui tried to suppress the excitement that coursed through him. He knew that if he stayed around her, he probably woldn't calm down.

"I'm going to bed!" Kamui started away, but Amaya gripped his arm.

"You never answered me..." he gazed down at the girl, and their eyes met.

"Hey... You seem nervous." Reaching up Amaya cupped his jaw, examining his small cut.

"Do you want me to cover that for you?" She moved in front of him, and started inching closer.

"N-No." The moment he finished speaking, her lips connected with his. He pulled back, but she wrapped her arms around him, not allowing the contact to be broken. Stumbling backwards, he fell, and she landed on top of him.

"H-Human, What are you doing?"

"I don't know... But if you didn't like it you could have just pushed me off... That kinda hurt, I crushed my boob..." She spoke in an innocent voice, and raised to her knees, cupping her boob gently.

"S-Stop that!"

"What? Why do you keep stuttering?" Peering down at him she pouted.

"I'm not stuttering..." He gazed away from her, and she lowered herself to her palms.

"Maybe you liked it?" As she inched closer, his face burned a more intense shade of red, and their lips pressed together. He didn't fight her this time, instead granted her access past his lips. Sitting on his lap, Amaya placed a hand on his chest, draping her arm around him. Soon, she felt his hands snake around her lower back, and she knew that he would let her have her way.

Pulling away from him, Amaya shifted her gaze.

"I should go to bed..." Realizing exactly what she was doing, Amaya stood up. Kamui remained on the floor for a minute thinking about what had just happened. He rose to his feet, following her.

"Why?"

"Well, we just got really close to... Well, people tend to lose control of these sorts of things, I don't want to go to far." They sat on her bed, neither of them looking at the other.

"How will you know if it's too far?"

"You'll stop me. I don't want to be stopped again though. I learned my lesson last time." She chuckled awkwardly, and he glanced at her.

"I won't stop you..."

"Have you ever done anything before?"

He shook his head, and she nodded, biting her lip slightly.

"This is going to be fast then. I'll show you how..." Leaning over she placed her lips to his neck, and began to softly kiss, and lick his skin. Kamui's body tensed, and he let out a deep sigh. It only took a few second before she saw him start to harden.

"just hold still... You can touch me if you want, but I'll do everything..." Her words were low, and he felt her warm breath on his skin. Moving to the floor, Amaya pulled him out, purring in satisfaction at his size. When she wrapped her lips around him, she felt his muscles tense, and he moaned lightly. After a minute, his moans grew louder and she pulled back.

"Wait, not yet..."

He watched her as she stood up, and began to remove her panties, his face flushed at the sight, and he shifted his gaze.

"You don't have to be shy about looking at me... Right now, I'm yours..."

Their eyes met, and she felt as if she was staring into pools of lust. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she positioned herself over him. "Are you ready?"

He nodded in response, and she began to slowly work herself onto him.

He gasped at the sensation, gripping her hips tightly.

They moaned in unison, and she worked herself into a rhythm.

"Don't- squeeze so hard..." Placing a hand over his, Amaya locked their lips together, muffling his pants. His body tensed underneath her, and before she knew what was happened, he groaned loudly. Kamui's grip tightened again, and he held her firmly in place. Before she knew it, he spasmed inside of her, and she felt him release. After a few minutes, his panting slowed, and he started to move her again. Pulling her closer, he locked their lips together. When he started pushing her down, faster, and she broke the contact between them. "K-Kamui... Slow down..."

"No..." His voice was a low growl, and Amaya gripped his shoulders to steady herself.

"Wait- Don't cum yet..." She tried to hold still, but he was too strong to stop.

"Amaya, come on..." Gazing up at her, his eyes were wide, and she shook her head.

"If we keep on, you'll finish. Wait for just a minute, and I'll start again." He looked away from her for a second, before meeting her eyes again. A wide sinister grin curled his lips, and she leaned back a little, wondering what he was thinking. Without a word, he flipped her over onto the bed.

"Wait, Kamui- just hold on!" Shaking his head, he began to pump into her. She had never had it this rough, and his strength only seemed to contribute to the ecstasy she felt.

"If- You keep- You're gonna-" Placing her hands against his chest, Amaya felt herself nearing her peak. She slid her hands over his shoulders, and brought him closer. His expression hadn't changed, but when their lips met, it softened. "Kamui..." She breathed his name into his lips, and he focused his eyes on her. "Kamui... More..." He nodded, slamming into her harder. When her muscles tightened, she felt his do the same, and soon his breath was cut off by a loud groan. Amaya moaned as well, pulling him tightly against herself.

They remained for a few moment, gasping for breath, and soon, Kamui rolled onto the bed beside her.

"Human... That was crazy..." His words were low, and when Amaya turned to reply to him, he was already asleep.

"Yeah..." Grabbing her box of cigarettes, she peered at him again. He was snoring softly, and she sighed loudly.  
'He's knocked out!'


	17. Chapter 17

"Kamui, don't gooo..." Groaning sleepily, Amaya wrapped her arms around his torso as he crawled over her.  
"Human, I have to. My ship will be here in an hour." He stared down at her, grinning.  
"Noooo" She tried to grip him tightly, but he pulled away from her easily.  
"You'll see me again. I won't be gone as long." As he walked away, she grumbled under her breath. Truly, she didn't want to admit that she just wanted somebody to be there for her, and actually want to be. Everybody always seemed uninterested though. Her night with Kamui hadn't been the best, maybe because he didn't really know what he was doing, and only focused on his own pleasure.

"Human, I'm leaving now." It only took few minutes before he returned to the room, fully clothed.  
"Do you have to?" Unable to conceal her disappointment, Amaya shifted her gaze. Kamui nodded, cheerfully. A quick kiss slipped across their lips and he was gone.

Laying in her bed, Amaya couldn't help but wonder why she still felt horny. She hadn't been able to cum the entire time, and Kamui didn't take the time to make sure she was enjoying it.  
'Maybe because it was his first time? Maybe if it happens again it would be better?'  
Sighing to herself, Amaya shook her head.  
'Maybe, but I'm not going to set my hopes on it... If it happens it happens, if it doesn't then well...' Standing up she started towards the shower.  
'That really wasn't what I expected... I thought that because of his strength...'

The water was warm against her skin, and she tried to shake the disappointment away.  
'I really need to stop drinking around men...'

Later in the afternoon Amaya decided to look for another place to stay. With the money that Bansai had given her, she had enough for another car, house, and even furniture if she wanted. It seemed like a good idea, and by the end of the day she found a nice house for rent. After talking with the owners it turned out that the place was being renovated at the moment, and she would have to wait a few months. She got her car fixed professionally, and repainted. By the time she returned home, it was running like it was brand new, and the window had been replaced.

At school she avoided talking to anybody. It seemed awkward around Hijikata, because she had slept with somebody else. Even if she had been drinking, and it wasn't what she expected, it would be difficult to explain.

Months passed, and Amaya started to think she had a stalker. Every night it sounded like somebody was outside of her house. Sometimes she heard the handle of her front door twist, it was unsettling to know that she was alone every night, and there was somebody watching her.

One afternoon on the way home from school, Amaya opened her door to take her dog out.  
As she stepped inside her foot landed on something odd. She shifted her gaze, only find another bouquet of roses.  
'Again?' Upon picking them up she found a small note attached to them.  
_'You're so beautiful. I hope you liked the pictures.'  
_A confused frown took her face and she peered around. A bush across the street rustled, and she locked her gaze on it.  
_'Is that them? Is the person in there?!'_  
Slamming the door shut, she locked it tightly, and pushed a chair underneath it.  
_'Somebody is out there!' _Panic crept over her, and she stared at Rei. She whined loudly, signalling that she couldn't hold her business in.

Taking a deep breath Amaya wondered what she would do_. 'Maybe she could use newspaper? But, I don't have any...' _Shifting her gaze around the room, she found that there was nothing she could do but take her out.. Sighing in defeat, she hesitantly moved the chair, and opened the door. Rei strolled into the yard, and quickly squatted down. When she was done, she froze in place, staring at a cat across the street. Before Amaya realized what was happening, Rei took off, chasing after the cat.  
"REI! Stop! Come back!" Amaya ran after the dog, across the street, and to the side of a house. When she finally caught her, she scooped Rei into her arms, scolding the dog.

After carrying the dog back inside, she made her way to the kitchen, and fed her pets.  
Deciding to take a shower, she walked to her room, and grabbed some extra clothes, out of her drawers. As she walked to the door, she heard something move. It sounded like it came from her closet, and she peered at it for a second, before leaving the room.

When she returned to her room, Amaya sat at her desk, and combed her hair out. She wasn't completely dry, and draped her towel around her shoulders. After pressing it against her hair, she turned to her closet. Only wearing some panties, and another camisole, the air in the room caused goosebumps to raise on her skin. Sliding the door open, she grabbed a black robe from a hanger, and immediately dropped it. Freezing in terror, her eyes met with somebody else. The person stood, just as stiff as she did, and she stumbled back, and onto the floor.  
"W-Who-" Unable to contain herself she screamed.  
The person jumped out of the closet, completely naked, and there was the penis; sporting a full erection.  
"NOBORU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He didn't respond, instead he ran across the room, and out of her door.

Chasing after him Amaya grabbed her cellphone, quickly dialing the familiar numbers.  
As the dial tone sounded, she followed behind Noboru, grabbing the first thing she could get her hands on; a dust pan.  
"GET OUT! GET OUT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Grabbing a bottle of water, she threw it at the startled boy, along with any thing else she could get her hands on.

"Hello?" Hijikata's voice was slightly groggy. It was obvious that he was probably sleeping, but she couldn't help but yell at him.  
"TOSHIRO! THERE'S A NAKED KID IN MY HOUSE!"  
"Wait... WHAT?" His voice was laced with disbelief. Noboru started to run by her, and she started smacking him with the dust pan.  
"IT'S THE PENIS FROM THE PICTURE! IT'S HERE! HELP ME!"  
"Stay away from the penis Amaya, I'm coming!"

"Amaya! Where is he?!" Hijikata burst through the door, only to find a very exhausted looking girl on the couch.  
"He ran out... He took some of my panties..."  
He raised an eyebrow at her, trying to stifle a laugh that was dangerously close to breaking free.  
"Your- Your underwear?! Not the ones you had on, right?" Walking over to the girl, he lifted her robe. Amaya pushed it down with both hands.  
"Hey! No, not the one's I'm wearing! Some that were in my laundry hamper... Bastard took my favorite pair.".  
"How- How did he get in here- NAKED?!" He burst into laughter, and she scowled in return.  
"It's not _funny_!" She hissed the words at him, but it didn't discourage the loud chuckling.  
"He sent me a bouquet of roses and put them in my locker, but they had pictures of his penis in them... I tried to find out who did it, so I showed you, Gintoki, Katsura, and Bansai, but-"  
"THAT'S WHERE THAT CAME FROM?!" Now he doubled over, running out of breath, but he couldn't stop.  
"You- You can't just- Do that sort of thing!"  
"I didn't have a choice!" Rolling her eyes at the man who was gasping for air, she continued.  
"I got another bouquet today," she motioned to the destroyed roses on the ground.  
"And saw the bushes move across the street. I KNEW it had to be the stalker! I had to take my Rei out..." She motioned to the dog, who was laying down on the couch beside her.  
" He must have come in when I wasn't looking. I didn't even know he was here! He was in the closet!I didn't know what to do, so I called you!"

He nodded seriously, placing a hand to his chin. "So what do you want me to do?"  
"I don't know! KILL HIM!"  
"I can't kill a student, but..." Now gazed at her door, appearing to be thinking deeply.  
"Do you want to come to my place for the night?" His question was unexpected, and she uncomfortably shifted her weight on the sofa.  
"I know... I know you don't really want to... Well, you know... But if you don't feel safe here..."  
"It's not that, I just..." She didn't want to tell him about her night with Kamui, and she knew that if he was around her she probably would just do the same thing again.  
"I- Well, I can't leave my pets here... They, umm... get lonely..."

Hijikata raised an eyebrow at her,  
it was obvious that her excuse was lame, but he didn't object.  
"I could stay here..."  
She hesitated to answer, not sure if it was a good idea.  
"Do you have somebody else coming over?"  
She shook her head.  
"Fine..." Sighing loudly she peered up at him.  
"If you don't want me to, I wont force you."  
Crossing his arms, he turned his head away from her.  
When she didn't answer, he turned to the door.  
"I'm going home." Before he could get the door open, she jumped up, and ran over to him.  
When he felt her grab his arm he peered down at the girl, who still looked frightened.  
"Wait! Don't!"  
His body untensed, and he nodded, slightly.

"Do you want some dinner? It sounded like you were sleeping, you could take a nap on my bed..."  
They sat on the couch, and Hijikata yawned loudly.  
"It's hard to sleep after something like that happened. Did you call anybody else?"  
"No." Her answer made a small smirk form on his lips.  
"I think I will try to take a nap though... Are you going to cook?"  
She nodded, and they both stood up, parting ways.


	18. Chapter 18

In the kitchen, Amaya chopped up some vegetables, and meat. Planning to make a small hot pot, she groaned in annoyance to find that she was almost out of ginger.  
'This will have to do...' Grabbing the powdered seasoning he sprinkled some into the pot.  
Moving to the fridge she got a bottle of sake, and poured some in as well. Then she poured a small amount into a cup beside her. After about half an hour, she placed the lid on the pot, giving everything time to boil. Turning her attention to her cup, she took a small sip of the sake. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, causing her to jump.  
"Did I startle you?" Hijikata tucked his chin on her shoulder, and she shifted her gaze.  
"No..."  
"I think I did." He chuckled lightly, and reached for her cup. After taking a swig from it he placed it back on the counter.  
"It smells good in here, what are you cooking?"  
"A, umm... It's a hot pot.. Beef."  
"That sounds good." He tightened his grip around her, as he spoke and she placed a hand over his arms.  
"I uh, I need to grab the noodles..."  
"Alright." He loosened his arms, and when she turned around, he stole her lips.  
She gasped lightly, soon closing her eyes and kissing him back, but when she started to think about it, she pulled away. Without a word, Amaya walked to the cabinet across the small kitchen an grabbed the a small pack of thin noddles.  
"What's wrong?" He asked but she just shook her head, and walked back to the stove.

After she placed the noodles in the pot, and re-covered everything, he leaned against the counter.  
"Are you okay? Do you still need time? It's been months..."  
"I'm fine... " Wanting to change the subject, she tried to think of something to say.  
"I'm moving."  
"What? Where?" He seemed startled by her words.  
"It's a little house closer to the school... And your place. It's a little cheaper then this place, and a lot nicer; It even has two bedrooms. The owners said it was a rent to own. Maybe i could rent the extra room out." She smiled as she spoke.

"To who?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged.  
"I don't know. Maybe I'll meet somebody I approve of."  
Immediately frowning, Hijikata sighed.  
"A man? Seriously?"  
"I didn't say a man! I meant another girl!"  
"Oh." Now he shifted his gaze, grabbing her cup again.  
"Well... I wouldn't mind if you asked me."  
She stared at him blankly, wondering what to say in response.  
"But, I like my place. I wouldn't want to move. Moving is stupid."  
Rolling her eyes, Amaya opened the pot studying the food.  
"It's ready..."

That night Amaya and Hijikata slept in her bed, but she kept as much space as possible between them. He couldn't understand why, but decided not to ask. She slept with her back facing him, and while she knew it would seem odd, she didn't want to explain herself to him.

In the morning they parted ways, speaking as little as possible.

At school, Amaya sat in History class watching Gintoki sleep, and Hijikata teach as always.  
It was a regular day, nothing happened and she couldn't help but daydream. When class ended, she walked to the desk, to chat before her next class.  
"Mori, what do you want?" Gintoki peered up from his desk lazily.  
"Nothing, just to chat. What's been happening lately? Anything new?"  
"Well, I graded some papers..." He stared at her with a blank expression and she nodded, trying not to focus on how boring that sounded.  
"That's... Good? Um, I'm trying to get a new place soon. Apparently my credit isn't good enough though..."  
He nodded, seemingly uninterested. Hijikata leaned on the desk, watching her as she spoke.  
"So what are you going to do then?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he spoke, and she shrugged.  
"Not sure. I knew I should have never taken that loan." Sighing, she rolled her eyes, starting towards the door.  
"I guess I'll get going..." the chat wasn't as interesting as she had hoped, but when she placed her hand on the door Hijikata called out to her.

"Oi, umm..." She turned to look at him, as he walked to her side.  
"If you need anything, just ask me..." She didn't seem to get his hint. He didn't want her to end up living with some random person, and he had been looking for another house as well. It seemed like their timing was perfect, but for some reason she didn't appear to even consider living with him.

"Okay." She nodded, and opened the door. When she got in the hallway, it was empty. The rush of students had already passed, and she started towards Bansai's classroom.  
"Amaya..." Turning to look at the man over her shoulder, she was slightly surprised to find him following after her.  
"You don't seem to understand what I'm saying..." Taking a deep breath, Hijikata shifted his gaze uncomfortably. It was more his style to dance around what he was saying, not to make it obvious, so he tried again.

"I have good credit..."  
"That's good!" She smiled at him, still not understanding.  
"Lately, I've been searching for a new house too... Mine has a problem with the electrical wiring..."  
She nodded, raising an eyebrow at him.  
"That doesn't sound safe... I hope you find one you like!" Starting away from him, she paused when he let out a frustrated sigh.  
"What I'm saying is... I wouldn't mind if you wanted me to help you get the house..."  
Now she stared at him seeming to be stunned by his notion.  
"Umm, well... We could... But it would have to be casual if we did... Nothing about a relationship, or, well, you know..."  
"That's fine." He nodded in approval.

"Hey, I have free time next class. It's kinda like a paper work hour... I'm not condoning skipping school or anything, but do you want to go somewhere?" His spoke in a low tone, and Amaya stopped to consider his offer.  
"I guess... We have to come back though, I don't want to miss everything."  
"Alright. We have to leave separately, meet me at the park down the street." He started away from her, and after a few minutes passed, she headed towards the opposite exit, telling Tsukuyo she had meeting at work. The woman seemed to believe her, and soon she was in her car.

When she arrived at the small park, Hijikata was nowhere to be found. She waited for about ten minutes, before lighting a cigarette.  
"Oi..." Seconds later, he pulled up beside her, and rolled his window down.  
He extended his hand, and she gave him the smoke.  
After getting out of his car, he walked to the trunk.  
"Go pick a spot..." He motioned to the grass beyond the fence, and she pointed to a large tree.  
"What about there?" Wondering what they were about to do, Amaya tried to sneak a peek into his trunk but he started yelling at her.  
"Go over there! Don't look in here, mind your business!"  
Staring at him oddly, she walked to the tree, not understanding why he shouted at her.

When he started towards her, she studied him noticing a small bag in his hand.  
"Here..." He handed her the bag and she peered at it curiously.  
"What's this?"  
"Open it." He frowned as he spoke, and when she did unzip it she was surprised at what she saw.  
"Is this food?" Pulling the small plastic containers out she handed him one, and the mayonnaise from the bag.  
"When did you-"  
"Just now..." A slight blush crept across his cheeks, and she nodded, thanking him.

They ate in silence, staring at a small creek in front of them.  
"Look, is that a duck?" Amaya pointed at a bird walking to the water and he nodded.  
"Yeah."  
Taking a small ball of rice, Amaya tossed it to the bird's feet, and it hungrily wolfed it down.  
Hijikata peered at her, and soon mimicked her motion, but not before covering the rice in mayonnaise.  
"Umm... you're going to give it that?"  
"Why not?" He gazed at her innocently, and she shrugged.  
"I guess you can, but... If you give it so much, it might die!" A worried expression slipped across her face, and he shrugged his shoulders.  
"No, It's good for it."

When they finished, he turned to her suddenly serious.  
"So, when do you want to show me the house?"  
Shifting her gaze, Amaya shrugged.  
"When ever... Are you sure you want to live with me?"  
"Why not?" He sounded indifferent, and she sighed at his words.  
"This isn't something that you should do without thinking about it... There could be problems like, what if you wanted to have a girl over, or what if I brought somebody over... Even something like whose furniture we use could be an issue."  
"I guess..." Sighing loudly, he reached into the bag, pulling out two drinks.  
Handing her a canned coffee he spoke.  
"It doesn't really matter to me. If the place is big enough we shouldn't have to make decisions like that. Is it?"  
Nodding she popped her tea open.  
"Do you want to go look at it? We still have some time." He agreed, and soon they both climbed into his car.


	19. Chapter 19

"This is kinda nice! What were you going to do in such a large place?" Hijikata spoke, while he peeked into a window.  
"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking that if I ever get to settle down it would be nice." Leaning on his car, Amaya lit a cigarette.  
"Yeah..." He didn't offer her any more words, just walked around the house. When he returned he stole the cigarette, looking serious.  
"So, do you want to talk to them after school? There should be a discount for couples..."  
"C- Couples? I told you, if we-"  
"But they don't know that." He interrupted, a smirk curling his lips.  
She reached for the cigarette, but he wouldn't hand it back.  
"If you want any, you have to kiss me..."  
Shifting her gaze, she bit her lip lightly.  
"Umm... We shouldn't..."  
"Then I guess you don't want it back." His smirk grew wider, and she rolled her eyes.

Without a word she lunged towards it, but he dodged her easily. Hijikata ran back behind the house, Amaya following him as fast as she could. Eventually, she snatched the cigarette from him, and ran away, making sure to take a few drags as well. Before she got back to the side of the house, his arms wrapped around her waist, causing her to immediately stop. He pulled her back, and she turned to face him, laughing. Soon she leaned against the wall beside her, trying to catch her breath.  
Hijikata hadn't let go of her, and started to lean in and kiss her.  
"Wait... We can't..."  
He froze in place locking his eyes to hers.  
"Why?"

"I- Well... I'm just... I'm not..." Unable to find the words to tell him she sighed. They had been having fun, and she didn't want to ruin it.  
"Toushi... I... I slept with somebody..."  
He pulled away from her, not breaking the contact between their eyes.  
"Bansai?"  
She shook her head, and shifted her gaze.  
"I... We were drinking, and it just. It got out of hand... It wasn't even that great, but..."

Nodding he started away from her.  
"Lets head back, we don't have much time..."

She knew that telling him would cause a problem, but she couldn't let him kiss her, without letting him know. It seemed more important to be honest with him about it, then to try to hide it. She had felt uncomfortable around him when he didn't know, but now that he did, it seemed even more awkward.  
In the car, she tried to speak to him, but he didn't respond. When they arrived at the park, he quickly said goodbye, and the moment she got out of the car, he left. She knew that it was only right to tell him, but now she couldn't help but wish she hadn't.

That night she laid in her bed, contemplating the day's events.  
Everything had been fine until she told Hijikata what she had done. After that he didn't speak to her for the rest of the day.  
Turning over, she closed her eyes, to try to sleep but the moment she got comfortable, her phone rang.

"Hello?" There was a moment of silence before the other person spoke.

"Oi, Oi, Amaya... What the hell did you think you were doin'?  
Are you tryin' to say I'm not good enough er somethin'?  
You know... You know, I was never mean to you.  
Maybe just that once when I got you ra-  
That's not the point, don't try to change the subject!  
Damn it, you're gonna sleep with me tonight!"

"What?!" Completely confused, Amaya gazed at her phone, to make sure she knew who she was speaking to.  
"Hijikata, are you drunk?"  
"I- I didn't ask you to ask me if i was drunk. Open your door." The sound of a car door was in the back ground.  
"What?" Amaya sat up in her bed, wondering if this was another drunk sex dream.  
"Open your door!"  
As she stood up, she heard a loud pop, followed by a crash.  
"Wait... I got it"  
"What did you just do?!" Rushing to the doorway Amaya peered down the hallway not surprised to find a very drunk Hijikata standing with his sword unsheathed.

"it was like that when I got here..." He motioned to the doorknob which was lying on the floor.  
Closing her phone Amaya rushed to the door, and tried to put it back together.  
"You can't just come here, and start breaking shit!" Annoyed she worked the doorknob back in place, sighing in relief when it stayed. Hijikata watched her oddly, and after she put the screws back on, he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"Oi... Oi... You didn't greet me right..."  
"What do you mean I didn't greet you right! You didn't come here right! Did you drive like that!? You always tell me not to drive when I drink, but then you do it?!" Unable to contain her anger she hissed the words at him, yet he just stared at her blankly.  
"Shhh, Shhh. Don't- Don't be so loud, you'll wake up the cat... You know she gets violent when you wake her up."  
Rolling her eyes, Amaya started past him, but he grabbed her waist.  
"Don't walk away from me, I'm not done yelling at you! You slept with somebody else!? Who?! WHY?! YOU COULD HAVE JUST CALLED ME!"

"Didn't you just tell me not to yell?" Crossing her arms, Amaya raised her eyebrow.  
"Who was it?!"  
Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the question. "Well... It was... Remember when you and Gintoki pulled me away from Kamui in the park?"  
He nodded scowling at her.  
"It was him..."  
Silence fell over the two, and for a second, she thought he would yell at her again.  
"Kamui..? Kamui? K- KAMUI!" He burst into laughter, and she leaned away from him startled.  
"He wouldn't sleep with _you_!"  
"Hey! What's wrong with me?!" She couldn't help but feel insulted as he laughed at her.  
"Besides the fact that you keep sleeping with everybody?"

Her heart dropped at his statement, and she pulled away from him. She wanted to say something in her defense, but unable to think of anything, she turned away.  
"I-... I guess I do... But you don't have to come here, and break in just to insult me..."  
Angered she walked away from him, but he just grabbed her, to stop her.

"Wait, I'm not done. You're gonna listen to everything that I have to say!"  
Scowling, she turned to face him.  
"Let me go." Her voice was stern, but he didn't listen. He just wrapped her in his arms and started trying to kiss her.  
"What the hell- Are you doing Toshi!?"  
"You're gonna sleep with me... I have to erase everybody else..." He spoke in a low tone, and she started stepping back, and away from him.  
"Cut it out!"  
"No, I told you, you're mine..." His grip tightened around her, and she struggled to break free.  
"_Damn it, let me GO!" _Turning her head, she shoved him back, and he fell on the floor.

He sat on the floor staring up at her with a surprised expression.  
"You think you can just come in here, and demand I sleep with you? Why would you even want to, if I'm such a whore?!"  
He didn't respond, just placed a hand on his head, seeming to be lost in thought.  
"I hope you remember this in the morning. You're lucky there's no school, because you're probably going to have a hang over. We need to talk tomorrow. As for what just happened..." Glaring at him she crossed her arms.  
"If you ever try something like that, I'll kill you... You might not think I'm serious, but I'll be damned if I let something like that happen to me again..." With that she stomped to her room. Before she slammed the door shut she called out to him.  
"I'd tell you to leave, but you obviously can't drive! Sleep on the couch; get your own sheets!"

Making sure to lock the door behind her, she walked over to her bed, angrily plopping down.  
_'Who does he think he is, coming in here and demanding sex!? I can't believe he said that to me!'_  
As much as she tried to deny it, his words troubled her. She couldn't help but think that maybe, he was right, in fact she agreed with him, but she would never say it out loud.


	20. Chapter 20

In the morning, Amaya was awoken by a ray of light that settled across her eyes. Lazily sitting up, she yawned, and stretched. The events of the previous night stuck in her mind, replaying like a broken record. When she walked into the living room, she found Hijikata sitting on the couch, staring intently at a window, a blanket draped over his lap. At some point during the night he had taken all of his clothes off, and threw them across the room. Deciding not to acknowledge him she made her way back to her room. She took a quick shower, and put on some baggy clothes. Right now she didn't feel very pretty, so she wasn't going to dress like she was. It made more sense to cover as much skin as possible, now that she knew what he thought about her. The entire night she felt like crying, but at the same time she had grown tired of doing so, so she didn't. It felt as though she hadn't gotten any sleep at all, which was partially true.

When she was done, she walked into the kitchen, once again ignoring Hijikata, and started to prepare a small breakfast for them.  
"Amaya..." He stood up, and started towards her slowly.  
She didn't respond, just stared at the food she was preparing.  
"Amaya, please don't ignore me... Not right now."  
Gazing at him over her shoulder, she finally spoke.  
"_What?_" He seemed taken aback by her tone, but still continued.  
"About last night... I didn't... I really didn't mean to-"  
"What? Call me a whore? Or try to tell me to have sex, like it's a trick I do or something?"  
He grimaced, shifting his gaze.  
"I didn't mean it like that... I really didn't, it was a joke..."  
"Oh, that makes it better." She chuckled dryly, before turning back to the food.  
He didn't speak, just remained in place, contemplating what he should say.

"You smell like alcohol, you should take a shower, or people will think you're drunk."  
"I am..." Shifting his gaze around the small room, Hijikata, sighed.  
"Hurry up, when you get out, breakfast will be ready... Help yourself to any of my clothes."  
He left the room, without a word, and Amaya peered at him as he walked away, not sure what she would say later.

When Hijikata returned to the kitchen, she shoved a plate at him, and left him to eat alone.  
"Amaya..." Turning to face him, she thought that maybe he would apologize.  
"Do you have any more mayonnaise?"  
Scowling at him, she spoke, "Look in the damn cabinet!" And huffed out of the room.

Half an hour later, there was knock on her door.  
Before she could respond, Hijikata walked into the room, and to her side.  
"Hey... So, I guess you're really mad at me, right?"  
She flashed it an annoyed expression, and he nodded.  
"But can you really blame me for being upset?"  
Sighing she shifted her gaze.  
"What if I told you I found a girlfriend, and I'm going to move in with her instead of you, but I don't really like her much, we just have good sex?"  
She crossed her arms, letting a guilty expression take her.  
"You wouldn't be jealous?"Now he raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded slightly.  
"So can you blame me?" She shook her head, shifting her gaze again.  
"So you forgive me?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning into her, and forcing her to look at him.  
"I guess..." The words were a grumble, but enough to satisfy him.  
"Then stop treating me like I'm a pest, and smile, damn it." Now he turned away from her, and grabbed her cigarettes off of the desk.  
"You should switch to my kind..." He pointed to the pack, and she rolled her eyes.

It was a mystery to her, why this man still wanted to be with her, and treated her so well. The previous night, had obviously just been influenced by his drinking, and she couldn't help but wonder exactly why he had drunk so much. The possibility of it being because of her flickered into her mind for a second, but she quickly extinguished the thought. Hijikata leaned onto her desk, smoking the cigarette. After a few moments of silence, he offered it to her.  
"Hey I've wanted to ask you for a while now... Who's bigger, me or Bansai?"  
She froze and stared at him oddly. The question was unexpected, and she definitely didn't want to start anything else.  
"Umm... I don't remember."  
"That's a lie! Tell me." He stared at her intently, but she shook her head.  
"I don't think we should talk about this sort of thing. It's not exactly something that you should worry about..."  
"Okay... Then why aren't you two together any more?"  
Once again she didn't want to tell him any details. Sighing loudly, she shrugged.  
"Well, we dated for a while, and things just didn't work out. He said I whine too much, and I got upset about him always being so distant. Even after we broke up, we were still together for a while, but one day we agreed that it would be the finale time, and it was. We haven't spoken much since then..."  
He nodded taking the cigarette from her.

"So... who's a better lover?"  
"Didn't you just ask me that?" Talking about her ex made Amaya uncomfortable. It wasn't that she had anything to hide, but she didn't really want to bring anything unpleasant up. The truth was that they argued more then usual, over little things. How much Daikon she put in the food, or the fact that he never laughed at something she found hilarious. It seemed as though they were polar opposites, and even though opposites attract, that doesn't mean that they belong.

"No, I asked who was bigger, why are you trying to avoid the questions?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she shifted her gaze.  
"I'm not... I couldn't say who's better... I only had you once, and I had a few months with him. Plus we've never dated... Bansai and I didn't always get along too well. Some nights we would argue, and he would ignore me for days, acting like his music was too loud. Do we have to keep talking about this?"  
Seeing that she clearly didn't want to discuss her relationship, he muttered a"No".

"Why did you sleep with Kamui?"  
"Why do you keep asking me all these questions?!" Irritated she stubbed the cigarette out, but he laughed.  
"Last one... I promise."  
Sighing loudly she rolled her eyes.  
"He was almost naked, we were drunk, I wanted somebody to be with me. It's hard knowing what it's like to be in a relationship, and always have somebody around, and then to be alone one day, and forever... And..." Pausing she took a deep breath.  
"You have to admit that the Takasugi thing kind of... Depreciated my value... It's not like I wanted it to happen, and we didn't agree on that sort of thing... I should have know better then to make deals with somebody like him... But I just couldn't let myself lose to Yumi again."

"Depreciated your value..? How could something like that depreciate your value? Maybe to yourself, but... It's not like that to somebody who's on the outside looking in. See, you're on the inside, only looking out, wondering what others are doing and thinking. If you took a moment to look at what's around you, inside, you'll see that everything is just the same. You aren't like real estate... You don't just depreciate because somebody broke your window, or the neighborhood around you gets bad..."

Amaya stared up at him in awe. It was almost like one of Gintoki's speeches, but easier to understand.  
"Don't ever say something like that again... Forget anything ever happened after me..." He eyed her as he spoke, and she shifted her gaze.

_'Why is he acting like this?'_

"I don't want you to remember anybody but me. I know that I shouldn't have come here like I did last night, but I couldn't help it. It pisses me off..." He scowled as he spoke, and she glanced at him curiously.  
"You really like me? Not just for, well you know... But really?"  
He didn't answer her, just looked away. His cheeks had flushed at her question, and Amaya stood up leaning onto his shoulder.  
"If you don't answer me I'll never know..." Grinning, she peeked up at him, but he didn't move.  
"Isn't that obvious?" His voice was low, and he still refused to look at her.  
His response was sarcastic, but Amaya couldn't suppress the joy that his words had brought to her. She wrapped her arms around him, and soon, he placed a hand over them.  
"I want to take this slowly... I know moving in together is a big step, but at the same time, if we control ourselves, everything will work out..." Hijikata turned around and peered down at the girl, she nodded in agreement.

Amaya laughed as she spoke. "Just don't seduce me again, and we'll be fine."


	21. Chapter 21

A week after the night Hijikata had arrived at Amaya's house unexpected they signed the lease to the new house. Gintoki, helped them to move their furniture, and boxes, though it wasn't uncommon to find him sleeping in the back of the moving truck. After he lifted a heavy box, he would climb on top of a few mattresses just out of sight, and about thirty minutes after he disappeared, Hijikata would find him, and start yelling.

Amaya had also called Kawakami, who hesitantly agreed to help her. He obviously didn't want her to move in with another man, but he didn't voice his opinion, just remained silent the entire time. When everything was packed, her pets were carried to her car, and all the men also helped take their things to the new place, and unload. After a while, everything was out of the moving truck, and Gintoki and Kawakami left, not commenting on the odd situation.

"You were right! Everything fits perfectly!" Amaya lifted a box, and started carrying it to her new bedroom. She had opted to take the smaller one at the end of the hall, and give Hijikata the master room, which had it's own shower. Upon returning, she grabbed a box, that was a bit to heavy for her to carry.  
"Do you need help?" Hijikata held his arms out, as if he would take the box.  
"No, it's fine! If it was too heavy, I'd just push it." Smiling Amaya motioned to his boxes.  
"You might want to get your things, instead of just standing there, staring at the walls."  
Chuckling she walked back to her room. It was a tedious process, but soon everything was in the right place. It would take days to unpack, so instead of rushing, she shifted her attention to setting up her bed, and any other things she would need for the night.

Hijikata did the same, and he seemed to be working much faster then she was. She had started before him, but he had finished everything in a single day.  
'It's just because men are so simple. They don't need all of the things a girl does...'  
Peering at him as he laid on the couch taking a nap, Amaya made her way to the new kitchen, and started to organize everything in there. She used separate cabinets for his things, and even divided everything in the refrigerator, having to dedicate most of the door space to mayonnaise. The kitchen was much bigger in this house, and Amaya loved the space. She could comfortably cook, chop vegetables and have the ingredients all on the counter beside her as she did everything.

When Hijikata awoke, she had already prepared a meal. They sat at the dining table, which had come from his house.  
"This place is really comfortable!" Grinning as she spoke, Amaya held her drink in hand.  
"Yeah. It's nice." His response seemed indifferent, but she knew he was just as excited as her.

"Why did you separate everything? Mine from yours I mean. Doesn't it make sense to put everything together?" He peered up at her, and she shrugged.  
"I didn't know how you would want it. I figured it could be changed if it wasn't right." Leaving it at that, she moved her attention back to her food. When they finished, she took their plates, and rinsed them off.  
"We have a dish washer!" Practically gushing, Amaya placed the plates and cups on the rack, and closed the door to the machine.  
Hijikata seemed annoyed, but suddenly started laughing at her.  
"You're like a child- You get something new, and you can't stop talking about it!"  
She gazed at him over her shoulder, not sure whether to laugh or scowl. Instead she smiled.  
"Well, you might hide it, but I know you're happy too. We have a nice place, spend less money for it, and even get more then before. Plus we can never be lonely, and if we want to be alone, we can just go to our rooms!"  
He nodded, and started away.

Later that evening they both sat in their rooms, wondering how long it would be before they got used to the new living arrangement. Almost a year had passed since they had met, and though they hadn't spoke much at first, now they seemed so close, even lived together. It was a big step and even though they weren't in a relationship, it felt as though they were.

Living together was kept a secret until the school year ended. They figured the next year they could disclose the news, and act as though it was an apartment, or just say money got tight, and they decided to be roommates, which wasn't exactly a lie. Neither of them started new relationships, and they didn't sleep together. Just as they said, they took everything slowly, only indulging in a kiss from time to time. Amaya started working at the Sashimi lounge again. It was always nice to go to work, and not worry about being harassed. It was the first time in a very long time that things seemed to be going right for her.

One night, they sat in the living room, watching T.V. It was mostly quiet, because they had grown comfortable just being together. Words were not needed to understand the others thoughts.

"Toushi, did you want a drink?" Amaya peered up at the man, who was staring intently at the news.  
"No, the first day of school starts tomorrow, I'd rather not have a hang over." He glanced down at her with a small smirk, and she nodded in response.  
"Can you believe that all of this time has passed? It went by pretty quickly, it seems like just yesterday we were moving in!"  
He didn't respond, and she leaned on his shoulder, smiling to herself.  
"So have you been satisfied?"  
His question seemed random, and she almost didn't understand what he meant.  
"With us?"  
He nodded, and she chuckled lightly.  
"Yeah! We've had lots of fun, even just doing nothing! I always feel safe, knowing that you're here."  
He shifted his gaze, and Amaya knew he was blushing. Instead of giving him time to recover she reached over, gently cupping his jaw, and making him face her.

"Why do you ask?" A soft smile graced her lips, and he looked away again.  
"Maybe because you don't want to wait any more?"  
He sharply inhaled, and her smile grew wider.  
"Me either..." When she spoke, his eyes met hers, and after a moment he leaned into her.  
Their lips met, in a soft, sweet kiss.

When Hijikata pulled back, shifted his gaze to the T.V for a second before cutting it off.  
"We should get to bed... Don't wanna be tired on your first day back to school..."  
Amaya nodded in agreement, and rose to her feet. Hijikata grabbed the pack of cigarettes that they had been sharing, and followed behind her. He walked into his room, and pulled the unsuspecting girl in behind him. The moment she came in he caught her lips.

"Toushi, right now?" She breathed the words as best as she could, trying not to break the contact.  
"If you don't want to..." He pulled back, and they both looked away, slightly embarrassed.  
"Well, we- I mean, We've been waiting for a while now... You don't think it could mess anything up?" Softly chewing on her lip, Amaya peered up at him.  
"I don't. But, are you ready?" Their eyes met, and she nodded slightly, still biting her lip.  
A small smirk curled Hijikata's lips, and without another word, he leaned into her again, kissing her with more passion this time. Slowly unbuttoning his shirt, Amaya walked backwards to his bed. He lightly held her shoulders, ensuring that she wouldn't fall.

When she was beside the mattress, he wrapped his arms around her, and gently laid her back.  
They took their time stripping each other, in an attempt to savor the moment. In a sense it was their first time again, it had been months since they last had any sort of contact.  
When everything that was between them was dropped to the floor, Hijikata moved his lips to her neck, being careful not to hurt her. Amaya moaned softly, but before it could get any further, she grabbed his shoulders, and rolled over, successfully swapping places with him.

Her body began to burn, and she made a trail of kisses down his body, before taking him into her mouth. He grunted in response, and she felt his body tense beneath her hands. She continued to please him until he started to throb with anticipation. When done, she positioned herself above him, and he held her hips firmly.  
"I know this isn't a toast, but I feel like I should say something special right now."  
Amaya peered down at him, and he chuckled softly.  
"What about 'To starting anew'?" His suggestion sounded like it fit the situation, and she nodded in response.  
"To starting anew, then."

She lowered her self onto him, and they moaned in unison. Hijikata helped her work into a rhythm guiding her through her hips. He held her firmly and she leaned down locking their lips together in an intense, yet loving kiss. As their tongues danced against each other, he groaned lightly.  
She felt his hands begin to wander, one grasped her thigh, and the other started to tease her nipples. He could feel himself getting closer to his peak, and bit down on her lip. She pulled back, and touched her fingers to the sore spot, but upon realizing that there was no damage, she leaned back into him.

"Oi, Hold on..." Looking for a way to cool his body which felt as though it was on fire, he lifted her off of himself.  
"What?" She asked flashing him a puzzled expression.  
"nothing, I just want to..." He didn't complete his sentence, just got up, and moved behind her. Understanding his gesture she leaned forward positioning herself on her hands, and knees.

He pushed into her roughly, causing her to cry out, as he firmly gripped her hips. Unable to control himself any longer, he pumped into her, taking pleasure in the loud moans he received in response. Sliding one hand up her back, he felt small beads of sweat, sliding down his body. Amaya glanced at him over her shoulder, and their eyes met. He leaned over her, and ran his tongue down her neck. Placing his hand on her chest, he puled her back up with himself, and moved his lips to hers. Knowing he couldn't hold it in much longer, he moved his hand to her clit. She moaned loudly in response, and he continued to slam into her. He felt her muscles twitch around him, and the sensation was too much to bare. Deepening his strokes, he tightened his grip around her, causing her to squirm against him.  
Groaning breathlessly, he released inside of her. Amaya reached her peak as well, and in her state of ecstasy she freed his lips unable to stifle the moans he had caused.

When it was over they laid in his bed, panting for air. Hijikata pulled her into his arms, nuzzling up to her neck. The smell of sweat hung in the air, and their eyes grew heavy.  
"You didn't wear a condom, you know." Amaya nudged him lightly, and he nodded.  
"I know."  
Sighing in satisfaction, she laced her leg around his.  
"Then you'll have to take responsibility."  
He chuckled lightly at her statement, nodding.  
"Gladly."  
They laid in silence, enjoying the warmth that stemmed form the collision of their bodies. Reaching to turn the light off, Amaya realized that he had fallen asleep, and a smile curled her lips. Moments later sleep claimed her, just as Hijikata had done.

The next morning they drove to school separately.  
When Amaya walked into her new writing class she was delighted to find Hijikata standing beside the desk, greeting his new students.  
"Miss. Mori." He nodded his head to her and a mutual smirk teased their lips.  
"Welcome back. I hope you had a good summer."  
Never shifting her gaze form him as she walked to the table in front of his desk, she chuckled.  
"You have no idea."

He strolled up to her desk, leaning over slightly.  
"Meet me during lunch... We'll have another picnic..."  
Unable to conceal the large grin that crept onto her lips she nodded.

From that day forward, it became a habit. They continued living together, and pretending to be strangers in school, but any chance they found, they would sneak a kiss, or just be together. Even if they were across the room, just having one another around was enough.  
Amaya only had three more years until she graduated, and after her time was up, they knew they would have nothing to worry about. Even if they happened to get caught, it wasn't likely that it would be a problem. So their relationship continued to grow stronger, in the hopes of one day settling down.


End file.
